Assault of Empathy
by Moriarty-Mastermind
Summary: Dr. Spencer Reid is an Empath. He senses the emotions and mental state of others, can affect their own emotions, and feels the emotional imprint left on objects. He's dealt with the power since he was a child, and has learned to keep it secret. But how long can he keep it from the members of the BAU? Especially when the powers start getting hard to control.
1. Prologue

_So this idea has been in my head for the longest time. So after giving up finding good fan fiction on the subject I decided to write it. This first chapter is just a little beginning, involving Reid's childhood and when he first experienced his power. I don't know how long this story will be, but it will definitely be multiple chapters._

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**Prologue: Assault of Empathy**

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It had started happening to him when he was 12 years old. He was finishing up his high school year, avoiding bullies was a usual task. But today was different- final exams were done and they were graduating tomorrow. His tormentors hadn't bothered him in a while- so he wasn't surprised when one of them, Josh Hudson, had come up to him as he was putting books in his locker and spoke.

"Yo, Spence." The voice perked up from behind him and Spencer flinched.

"Don't call me that." Spencer muttered, only his mom gave him nicknames.

"Fine. _Spencer_." He said forcefully. Spencer kept his back to Josh, and hoped that he would go away soon. The senior only spoke again, "Me and friends, we feel kind of bad about the way we treated you these years." Spencer's eyebrows rose. "We wanted to make it up to you- and we all want to say sorry." Josh's voice was clear, "Meet us in the locker rooms?" Then he was gone just as quickly as he came.

Spencer Reid didn't know why he listened. He supposed it was because he had a niggling hope that people really did feel bad. That he could leave high school being happy, and that he could embrace the sorry and give back his forgiveness. He hoped _so_ hard. So he let himself go the locker rooms after school. His sneakers squeaked against the ground and he walked into the locker rooms. He looked around and saw no one there and sighed, "Of course." He said sadly, "Of course he was just messing with me." Spencer turned around to leave when suddenly the wind was knocked out of him. His small body tumbled to the ground and his head roughly smacked against the tile. He heard laughing and a voice as he laid on the ground.

"You _really_ thought I was telling the truth?" It was Josh's voice and a girl's laughter along with two other male laughs accompanied it. "Come on Spencer- why would we ever say sorry?" Josh swung his foot and hit the twelve year old in the stomach. "You make us all look-" He kicked again, "Like-" Again, "**_IDIOTS_**!" Spencer was now crying on the ground. The laughing had stopped.

"Come on, Josh." A voice he recognized as David Hart spoke, "You just said we would knock him down and have a few laughs. Look at him!" He gestured at the young boy crying on the ground, "I think he's had enough. Calm down." David went to put his hand on Josh's shoulder but the other boy just quickly shrugged him off.

"David's right, man." Another boy said. Spencer remembered him too- he was? What? His last name was House and his first name was-

"Shut up, Connor!" The girl yelled, "You're the one who suggested this in the first place!" She walked over to Spencer and leaned over him, pushing his head into the ground as tears ran down his face, "Look at this fucking know-it-all boy genius!" She shoved his head down again and came up to sling her arm around Josh. "He's getting what he deserves." Samantha Lange... She was one of the few girls who actual participated in physically bullying. She was also the well known girlfriend of Josh.

"Kick him, dude." Josh taunted, "Kick him in the _fucking_ balls and prove you're not some _bitch_!"

"Josh-" David walked toward him but Josh interrupted him.

"Was I talking to you?" Josh looked back towards Connor, "Kick him!"

Connor furrowed his brows and looked down at the boy on the ground. "Fine." He wouldn't lose a friend over some stupid kid, he pulled his foot back and slammed it into Spencer. Spencer made a small gasp and whimpered. "There." He said simply. "Now can we go?"

"Not yet." Josh said. He leaned down and gripped Spencer by the shoulders pulling him up he shoved him against a locker. "What up, fucker?" He said slowly, "You made a fool out of all of us." He gestured around the room. David and Connor only stayed silent and had a worried looks on their faces. Samantha was nodding and had a manic grin. "So next time you think about spouting one of your fuckin statistics. Think about my foot up your ass."

Spencer was feeling sick. And he was having a hard time breathing. He gasped for breath and then coughed loudly. Blood sprayed from his mouth and spattered on Josh's face. Josh cringed and threw him roughly on the ground. "**_Fuck_**!" He yelled and began to wipe his face. Spencer's head collided with the tile and a loud crack reverberated in the locker room.

Everybody in the room's shoulders perked up quickly. That did _not_ sound good.

Even Josh and Samantha cringed at the sound. Everyone looked towards Spencer. Blood was on the ground and his body was limp. There was no more crying, or whimpering, just silence.

"H-he's just winded." Josh whispered.

"He's not just winded!" Connor yelled, "We need to call an ambulance!" He went towards Spencer and leaned over the twelve year-old, "Fuck, _fuck_ Josh." He said quickly. He let his hands hover over Spencer's mouth and didn't feel anything, "Fuck. He's not breathing. Josh we _need_ to call an ambulance."

David was already bringing out his phone and tried to dial out 911, but Samantha quickly slammed it out of his hand.

"If he's not breathing." She said quickly, "Then he won't be breathing when the medics come. All that will happen, is that we'll get arrested and go to jail for the rest of our lives! We're all eighteen!" Samantha was panicking, "We won't go to juvy for this!"

Connor was panicking. "B-But-" David went over to Spencer and felt for a pulse.

"God. **_God_**." David breathed heavily, "He's dead guys. He's dead." He put his hands over his face, "Oh, god."

"I killed someone." Josh whispered quietly. "I _killed_ someone."

"And we need to hide the body!" Samantha gripped her boyfriend's shoulder's roughly. "We'll just set him outside the woods. He doesn't have any evidence on him." She said assuredly, "We can put the body in the woods, clean the locker room. Go to school tomorrow for graduation and it will _all_ be like a bad dream."

Josh nodded slowly. "O-okay." He said.

David and Connor looked at each other over what they thought was the dead body of a twelve year old boy genius. They both nodded in understanding, agreeing with Samantha and picked up the body. Spencer was unbelievably light- he was really skinny and there was practically no weight on his bones.

"Let's go, then." David muttered sadly.

It didn't take long for all of them to sneak out of school. The halls were empty. Making their way into the woods in the middle of the day was difficult though. They threw the body in a random spot in the woods. All of them were very silent throughout the whole process. When they made their way back to the school to clean the locker room it was for all of them a very surreal experience. Nobody spoke. They all went home.

None of them slept.

* * *

Spencer Reid woke up the next day. He really had died. He remembered the blackness and the sudden unknown force pulling him back. He opened his eyes and could see the sun. He breathed heavily and his head was beating with pain. He put his hand up to his head and could feel a large bump and an open wound. When he brought his hand back down from his head he saw red on his fingers.

"Wha' appened?" He mumbled to himself. His mind tried to go over the events of the other day. Josh had jumped him? He remembered being beaten and then he had been thrown on the ground and then... Black. Today was- today was? What day was it?

He tried to stand up, but his legs collapsed under him. He pushed himself back up again and tried to walk. Leaves brushed up against his legs. He put his hand on a tree and then suddenly feelings of grief, fear, and anger came over him. He gasped suddenly and took his hand off the tree. "What was that?" He said quietly.

Spencer continued to walk through the woods his shoes crunched against leaves and only until he saw the neighborhood he lived in did he realized today was his graduation.

That's when he began running.

He ran home to his mother, who was locked in her room, probably didn't even notice he didn't come home last night. When he made it home he felt extremely paranoid. Though he was unsure why- yes it was understandable under the circumstances, but he would get over it. A lot of bad things had happened to him over the school year he just wanted to graduate. Though he noticed... he was more paranoid as he walked over to the door then when he was far away from, and the feelings felt foreign in his mind.

He looked at the time and sighed in relief when he realized it was only six o' clock in the morning. He had two hours and fifteen minutes to get ready. He took a shower his wound stinging on his head. He observed it a bit more, and came to the conclusion he would go to the clinic to get it stitched up before he went to school. He would make an excuse like he tripped... and the doctors there knew about his mother's problems. They wouldn't call her.

It didn't take long for him to get cleaned up. He rubbed the bruises on his stomach, and occasionally coughed up blood. He kept trying to assure himself it was no big deal. He fetched a suit that was just a little too big for him from his closet and put it on. Then he took his gown and cap. He folded the gold gown and put his cap over it. He even took his valedictorian speech, he had it memorized, but he wanted it with him just in case.

He walked to the clinic, when he walked in a nurse began towards him. They were used to him being there, but they knew his graduation today. A rush of worry suddenly came over him and just like the paranoia it felt foreign. It was like a separate feeling separated from himself.

"Little man! What happened?" An old nurse named Rita asked him. She leaned over and put her hand on his cheek. _Poor boy he always gets hurt. _Her voice sounded through his mind like it was said out loud- but she hadn't- had she? What was going on?

"I just tripped." He said quietly, "I need to get this stitched up before I go to my graduation today." Her hand was still on his cheek and suddenly feelings of doubt and worry rushed over him along with words _Why does he always lie about these kind of th- _Rita's voice suddenly left his head as her hand disconnected from his cheek and she stood up.

"Okay." She said lightly, "Come with me."

He followed silently. And he wondered what just happened. Is he feeling what she was feeling? Did he hear her thoughts? What was wrong with him? As he walked through the clinic feelings of pain, concern, sadness, and others invaded him. It was beginning to get overwhelming.

Rita led him to a seat and gestured for him to sit down, "A doctor will come in any second sweetie." She said kindly. She then left and he let out the breath he had been holding.

He tried to block out whatever foreign feelings or thoughts tried to invade his mind and he tried to focus on his own. His immediate thought went to schizophrenia. Although it was extremely rare for these kind of things to present in children his mom _did_ have it... But he hadn't been showing any symptoms. There's no evidence of him having any other form of mental illness. He thought more and more for a logical explanation- when he died? Did something happen? His thoughts went through everything and he tried to go through his memories then suddenly the door opened.

Spencer looked up to see a doctor walk into the room, "Hello, Spencer. In the clinic again?" Spencer didn't feel any concern radiating from the man, but he did feel suspicion.

"Hey, Dr. Mitty. Yeah." Spencer said sheepishly, "I tripped." A strip of doubt invaded his own emotions as he pointed to his head, "Can you stitch this up for me, please?"

The doctor nodded. And he opened a drawer and brought out his stitching supplies. "I'll give you some mild anesthetic." He administered some to Spencer and then brought his hands up to Spencer's head and began to stitch. His forearms lightly rested against the boys hair and thoughts invaded Spencer.

_How does this kid always get in trouble. I can't believe he's gotten hurt again. The way he held himself when he came in here probably means he has some bruising too. Should I call his mother about this? No last time that happened she had a breakdown on me and I had to deal with the kid even more. It's not like she's actually hurting him- but- Should I send him to child services? No. Then they'll ask why and I'll have to explain and- ugh don't want them finding out about Brenda. That's what you get for cheating against your wife Mitty._

The thoughts went on, about the doctor's personal life. About what he thought of other people. Spencer was silent the whole time and he was breathing shallowly. Then when the doctor finished and brought his hands up the invading thoughts abruptly stopped. Spencer came to the conclusion he could only hear thoughts when people touched him. When the nurse touched his cheek. When the doctor touched his head. And he could feel emotions? Was it their emotions? What was this?

"I'm all done." Dr. Mitty muttered, "Now go ahead and graduate kid." A slither of pride shot from the man and it made Spencer feel nice.

"Thank you, Dr. Mitty." Spencer said. He quickly left the room and the clinic. The overwhelming amount of feelings invading his mind. If this was bad- how would school be?

He walked to school, the occasional feeling invaded his mind, but he did his best to ignore it. Usually by thinking of something completely different, like the statistics about children graduating from school by age.

When he got to school he wasn't on time. He put on his cap and gown and headed over to his classroom. If he remembered correctly they would be giving out report cards, and then practicing the ceremony. So they still might be in his classroom. He runs to the room and comes in quietly.

"Sorry for being late." He muttered as he looked at his teacher handing out papers.

"It's fine, Spencer." His teacher Mrs. Jackson smiled at him and he felt a wave of pride come over him again. So the teacher did care about his abilities. The feelings didn't last for long, though. He was about to sit in his seat when suddenly he was assaulted with feelings of fear. He gasped and gripped his head.

His teacher began to rush towards him, but he put up his hand quickly, "I'm fine. Just had a rough time, last night." He said quickly before sitting down. The teacher seemed to accept that and then she set down his report card. A+ across the board 100% for every assignment and test. He had perfect grades. He looked up to find the source of invading fear and scanned his eyes over the classroom. His breath caught in his throat when he saw what it was. Josh Hudson, David Hart, Connor House, and Samantha Lange were all looking at him like they saw a ghost.

'I won't tell' Spencer mouthed the words to them a few times making sure each got the message. All of them nodded dumbly and Spencer sensed confusion radiating off of all of them- David and Connor were tinged with guilt and Josh and Samantha had strips of fear.

It didn't take long until the ceremony happened. He didn't speak much. All he did was practice his speech. And he could tell the feelings of everybody. He felt so much jealousy leaking off of so many students- even teachers. And hatred. Did people really dislike him this much?

His mother didn't show up to the final ceremony.

He went home and locked himself in his room and did his research.

Empath: A person with the paranormal ability to apprehend the mental or emotional state of another individual.

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_And there you are :) The first chapter to my story. In the next chapter he will be completely used to his power, now how to use it. He even has rules for himself. I'll explore his powers more in the next chapter. For instance, why did Reid freak out when he touched a tree? Well that's the power for ya._

_The next chapters will probably be longer. The prologue is just shorter then the rest._

_Plase tell me what you think! Review!_

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	2. The Case

_So just to let you guys know this will probably be somewhere around season 6ish. The BAU members will be Garcia, Prentiss, Hotch, Rossi, and Morgan (sorry for not having JJ, I just didn't think I could handle having to write one more character... she'll probably show up at some point, just not in the BAU). I made it so that things kind of fit in. But of course it's not going to follow everything that happens in the storyline. It's just around the same universe. _

_I'll figure it out._

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**The Case**

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As he got older and went to university he experimented more with his gift. He wanted to know how far the power really went- was it simply meant to give him information? Could he influence other individuals? The questions bombarded him. Every so often in between his studies and work he would go to a library, mall, café, any kind of public place where he could learn to take hold of his power.

He came to the conclusions he had a lot of different facets that went along to this skill he had. First of all, he could only hear clear thoughts when he was touching somebody skin to skin or they were in extreme emotional duress. He found that shaking hands with somebody who had gloves gave him no clear thoughts. There was also an account where he was sitting back in the library, pretending to read as he monitored the feelings of the people around him- and suddenly a clear voice when through his head _Jonathan!_ apparently a mother had lost her child. He discovered that this was called 'Clairaudience' where an empath can hear the thoughts associated with heightened emotions.

Second, he could influence other people emotionally. He didn't do much experimenting on this part because it felt much to intrusive. Reid supposed it was a sort of 'Empathic Projection' if he thought long and hard enough on an emotion he could project that onto another person and change what they are feeling. He did it once to a woman who was feeling sad, and another time to a man who was angry. Then he stopped, and realized even if it did seem like he was helping someone- it still wasn't right.

Third, he found that objects seem to hold a lot of emotional energy. For instance, one day while stopping at the ATM he had suddenly been given a panic attack. At first he thought it was because someone nearby had probably been having one. Though after coming back to the ATM again, he found that the machine itself was actually holding emotional energy. After doing some research, he found a woman the day before had been robbed there and had a panic attack. So Spencer had come to the conclusion that when and object was in contact with heightened emotions- it was as if it held on to them.

Fourth, he found out that he could tell when practically anybody was lying to him. Even if the person didn't feel guilt, or any emotion linked to it- if he were to monitor them closely he would know what the lie was. If he delved further into their psyche he could even pick out the lie they were telling.

He did more with these, and he found that the more he used his power the more it became easy to control... Spencer hated packed places- He's had nose bleeds, headaches, panic attacks, and breakdowns all while being emotionally overwhelmed by the feelings of others.

That's when he decided he didn't want to use his power at all unless absolutely necessary. He put up a sort of white noise in his head and constantly embraced his own emotions and thoughts in order to block out the feelings of others.

So he functioned well, graduated the FBI academy and got transferred to the BAU- which really _really_ made him happy. It was the perfect job for him, Behavioral Analysis Unit, let's just say knowing the emotions of everybody around you makes that job pretty easy to do. Of course, he still monitored himself and tried not to use it for anything selfish. So he decided to actually make himself some concrete rules.

1\. Do not use your powers for personal gain

2\. Do not influence someone unless absolutely necessary (saving his own life, or the lives of others)

3\. Do not use your powers on your friends. _Ever_. (This rule was often hard to follow, because sometimes slivers of emotions break through his wall- or his friends touched him.)

It was pretty easy to follow. Of course he was very strict with himself, so on most of the cases he didn't even use his power at all. This way, if he ever lost his power, he would know that he'd still be able to solve cases and save people without it.

Currently, he had been heading into work in the morning. His wall was properly up, his thoughts were contained and he managed to knock out any and every little emotion. One reason he came into the work so early in the morning was because he wanted to avoid people. It was easier to focus on the work when no one was there _feeling_ things then when people constantly walked in and out and liked to bombard him with unwanted emotional projections.

So Reid got to work, he finished writing up a few case files and preliminary profiles. He got himself a cup of coffee- Reid also found that it was easier to focus and control his power when he was hyped up on caffeine and sugar. So he read over what he was supposed to do, finished his files, finished the files that Morgan liked to put in his basket (even some of Prentiss's) and he sat back and waited for people to start rushing in.

Hotchner was the first person in, he immediately went to his office, he was soon followed by Rossi then Prentiss and Morgan. Garcia seemed to never come in that way, probably because she was off somewhere on her computers.

One reason he didn't like tablets, or computers, was just because they held so much emotional energy. It was strange, but true, it was like electronics just loved emotions. He found the prospect interesting and wondered what the scientific merit behind it was- then again, none of his power had much scientific merit.

"Hey, pretty boy." Morgan came up behind him and roughed up his hair, _Hope he didn't stay here all nigh-_, the brief thought from Morgan broke off. When his hand came up from his head. "Stay here all night, Reid?"

"No, I just came in really early." Reid took a sip of coffee, "Why?" He tried to ignore whatever emotions his friend was feeling.

"You just look a little tired is all." Morgan sat down at his desk and pulled up a file to read. Prentiss sauntered over soon after and sat down at her desk.

She laughed, "He always looks tired Morgan." Prentiss was feeling worried. Reid ignored it. "Surprising, considering how much coffee he drinks."

To tell the truth he hadn't been getting much sleep recently. His headaches were only getting worse. And he wasn't completely sure why he was getting them in the first place. He assumed it had something to do with his gift, recently it was like they were getting stronger. The farthest Reid had ever felt people's emotions was somewhere around the size of a small house. It varied depending on how strong the emotion was and how Reid was feeling himself. Recently however, even though he usually didn't feel anybody when he was alone in his apartment- it was like he could detect people from miles away. It was getting tedious and it was making him lose sleep.

He didn't mention this however. Instead he rambled, "You know, one study found that complete caffeine tolerance occurred after just 1-4 days among their study participants. They measured this by noting the increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, and plasma epinephrine levels. After 1-4 days these levels were back to their baseline. Another study showed caffeine tolerance occurs in part because the brain quickly develops more adenosine receptors to compensate for those blocked by the caffeine molecule." His hands went out enthusiastically, "So it would actually make sense for me to develop a tolerance to caffeine over time and not be affected by it as much. That's why I've been slowly upping my dosages of caffeine over the past few weeks."

Morgan sighed, "Damn." He said suddenly. He got up and went to Rossi's desk, took out a couple of twenties and set it down, "You won the bet Rossi."

Rossi looked up from the file he was reading and smiled, "Told you he was drinking more coffee then usual."

They all laughed while Reid made a face. But he felt nice as feelings of love and family washed over him. After chatting a little more, Morgan bragging about his great weekend with a woman (it was a lie, Reid noted, but ignored). Prentiss talked about her weekend and Rossi occasionally butting in to make a comment. Reid even mentioned a few statistics. Slowly but surely all of them went to their meeting room. Sitting at the round table Hotch walked in with Garcia and the case brief began.

Garcia handed a file to Reid, her fingers brushed against his for a moment, and the thought that he heard was only an elongated _Eeeewww. _He smiled partially because he found it humorous, and also in thanks for her printing it for him. He knew it was slightly frustrating for her, just because he was the only one that actually requested the case file in paper. Everybody else was happy with the tablets. The papers had slight feelings of disgust and sadness over them, they were a bit stronger then usual so Reid assumed this must be a brutal case.

Garcia clicked the remote and photos of dead girls flashed across the screen. Their heads were missing however, and their bodies were covered in flowers. "So far there have been three bodies found around Arizona. All of their heads have been removed and white lilies have been thrown over their bodies." The pictures switched to the girls alive, "Luckily, even with the lack of heads these bodies have been identified." Reid's eyes narrowed as he looked at the blond girls. They all looked familiar, but he couldn't place why. "All of them were seniors in high school. The first victim found was Jessica Leeds, then Miranda Ziesmer and Katherine Rodgers."

Rossi interrupted, "Well these are all very similar- why didn't they call us once second body was found?"

Hotchner answered the question, "I called them about that. They claimed that two different units were working on the cases and they didn't notice the connection until after the third body was found." Reid could feel irritation resonating from him.

Reid stared at the blond women a bit more before he spoke, "You know there might be hidden meaning in the flowers he chooses. The fact that he chooses something like lilies instead of roses, might indicate he has a connection to the flower. White lilies symbolize chastity and virtue – and were the symbol of the Virgin Mary's purity and her role of Queen of the Angels – as other varieties became popular, they brought with them additional meanings and symbolism as well. The type of lilies the unsub uses, white stargazer lilies, they express sympathy. As the flowers most often associated with funerals, lilies symbolize that the soul of the departed has received restored innocence after death."

Prentiss nodded along, "Maybe these bodies represent a loved one? Someone the unsub lost?"

Morgan spoke, "Well he definitely has a type. They're all blond, athletic, and young." He flipped through a few more photos on his tablet, "And I think we should focus on one of the more on the most brutal facts of the case."

"What?" Reid asked.

"The fact that he removes the entire head."

Hotch furrowed his brows at the photos, "The lilies represent remorse, but the removal of the head goes against that." He taps a few times at his tablet, "They look brutally hacked off and that represents a lot of anger."

Rossi added, "Maybe he hacks of the head in anger and after realizing what he's done he feels remorse and sets up the body that way."

"Maybe." Hotch muttered, "Well everybody get your go-bags. Wheels up in thirty."

Everybody nodded and began to get up from their seating positions. Reid was about to do the same too, he got up and suddenly searing pain and fear. Overwhelming fear came over him. He gasped a few times and he could feel sharp pains through his neck and his throat felt close off and he couldn't breath. His eyes flashed for a moment and an image of the desert bombarded him and suddenly,

_Fuck what's happing_

_Is the kid okay_

_Reid_

**_Reid_**

**_REID_**

"Reid!" Morgan grabbed his arm and his hand partially touched Spencer's own. He shoved his sweater down to block the skin to skin contact and cut off the thoughts that Morgan had been having.

"I-I'm fine." Reid said quickly while he backed away. "I'm fine. I just need water."

All the other members of the team looked at him, Hotchner and Rossi from the hallway- Garcia and Prentiss were halfway up from their chairs. And they all felt so hopelessly confused and concerned and Spencer _hated_ it when his static passed and he could read people. Reid didn't bother to let anyone talk to him, and he instead rushed out of the room. Breathing heavily, and heart beating out of his chest. He went over to the little counter where he usually made coffee and took a little paper cup. He headed over to the water cooler, and he watched as the water flowed in the cup. Water bubbled up and rose to the top of the cooler as the water flowed into his paper cup. He sighed and took a sip.

He turned towards the briefing room and saw how Hotch had already moved from the door as well as Rossi. They both look suspicious, but they don't bother to mess with him. Garcia is gone- Reid has no idea how she managed to vanish in such a small time. Prentiss and Morgan however walked over to him and they were both determined. _No_, Spencer berated himself, _They're not determined. You're not supposed to know that- they _look_ determined_.

"What's up with you, Reid?" Prentiss spoke first. Morgan stepped back.

"What do you mean?" Reid took another sip of water and feigned innocence, "I was dehydrated. Sunken eyes, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing and delirium-"

"Reid don't try to start rambling and avoid topics like you always do." Morgan spoke and he looked serious, "Look, I know you don't want to talk about it, kid. But whatever's up with you we can help."

Prentiss agreed, "Morgan's right Reid, you've been looking exhausted for weeks and you always look like you're head is hurting. Seriously, we can help."

"I. Was. Dehydrated." Spencer reiterated, once again. "Now I need to get my go bag and you two should to the same." He made his way around Prentiss and Morgan and then released the breath he had been holding. The amount of concern and suspicion that radiated from Prentiss and Morgan in the moment was overwhelming. He put up more and more static, but the more they spoke the more he felt it pierce his veil.

Why was it getting so much harder to block out the emotions? And what _hell_ was that in there? What did he see? Why did he see it? Reid thought of this as he got his things ready. So he analyzed the situation. He had been having a bad headache, one that had been there for 2 days 5 hours and 20 minutes. Then as he got up pain seared through his head and not just his head in his neck too. His throat had closed up, he couldn't breath and then- desert? He went back to his memory and tried to recall the exact scene. It was dark. There were cacti. And there was red. Some dark red, in some places and- and- and what else? Because there was something else.

Reid contemplated whether or not this had to do with his power. He had never actually _seen_ things before, only felt them or heard them. And why would this happen? He's only had episodes like that when somebody really close by was feeling extremely heightened emotions. This though- there wasn't any desert in Quantico, Virginia. His thoughts immediately went to schizophrenia- but he quickly brushed it off. He wasn't letting himself get paranoid over something that he'd already concluded was _not_ the problem.

It didn't take much longer until his go bag was ready. He spent a lot of the time standing in random positions and he thought much too long about the situation so he was a few minutes late. He was the last to get on the jet everybody was already settled in their seats and they had their tablets out. Reid sat down and opened his file. He read it three times. Then another three times.

Then the jet was up in the air and everybody was going about their business before they were ready to sit down.

Hotch gave him a look, which Reid expertly avoided by staring intently at his paper and reading it another three times. He was in his 'spot' as everyone seemed to deem it. The place where he could either sprawl out and sleep or sit in the corner and feel separate. He would occasionally move around to other spaces- but he preferred this spot because the emotional imprint was so patently _him_. Occasionally he'd sit in another space but it was too heavily imprinted on by everyone else on the team, it gave him too much incite into how much these cases really do affect his fellow members of the BAU.

"So he removes the head, puts lilies on them- was there any evidence of sexual assault?" Prentiss sat back in her chair and put her hands out, "Because that could change the profile completely."

Morgan clicked on a computer and Garcia popped up, "Talk to us, baby." Morgan said.

_"Well my dumpling-darlings, there was no evidence of assault. Or any real bruising or fighting actually, the only injuries apparent on the bodies are the hacked off heads." _Garcia cringed on the video,_ "Which is really really icky and terrible by the way."_

"So how does he do it?" Rossi asked, "How does this guy manage to hack off someone's head without them fighting at all?"

"Maybe he drugs them?" Hotch interrupted, "Garcia were there any drugs in the bodies systems?"

Reid's head still continued to hurt. Garcia spoke, "Nothing big-boss-man, not one drug was detected in their syste blah blah blah blah."

And that's when Spencer zoned out. They were talking about the psychological aspects and getting into where the bodies were dropped, all this and all that. Everybody was carrying the conversation well and Reid had come to the conclusion nobody _really_ needed him. A quick over-view of his teams mental states would atone to that, they were all focused, no confusion. Morgan was slightly angry (probably because of the brutality of the case), Hotchner had a lick of concern (which Reid couldn't identify why), Prentiss was fairly calm as she always wa- and what was he doing?

Why was he purposefully monitoring his colleagues emotions. There was no need for that. Reid shook his head and gripped the bridge of his nose, "Reid." God this headache was getting bad. "Reid." Hotchner's voice wasn't helping.

Reid looked up, "What?"

"What do you think?" Hotch was looking at him seriously, "About the case. What do you think?"

"Uh- it seems like you're on the right track. You should be confident about it." It looked like Hotch was about to speak up before his demeanor changed. His shoulders shot up and his chin stuck out.

"He's right, we are." Hotchner's voice was oddly gloating. "We'll talk more about the case when we land. We'll go the station, I'll introduce us. Then Prentiss, Morgan, go to the recent crime scenes. Rossi, Reid, you can talk to the families of the victims- Garcia will be calling them in." Rossi looked like he was about to protest before Hotchner gave an egotistical look at him, put up his hand and went back to reading the file.

Morgan, Prentiss, and Garcia on the camera looked _extremely_ confused. Rossi himself was slack-jawed.

Then Reid suddenly realized what he did. He had influenced Hotchner, he had told him to be confident and that's exactly what Hotch did. What the hell was he doing? He's broken all three rules today. He used his powers on his friends, he influenced someone when it didn't need to happen- and he influenced them for his own selfish gain! He wanted to be left alone so it happened that way. Suddenly anxiety took over as he expected everyone to notice what had happened.

Luckily it seemed that no one was really focused on him though. They didn't seem to realize the connection to what he had said and how Hotchner was acting. Nobody questioned what Hotch said, but as Garcia logged out from the computer and everybody went back to doing whatever they needed to do- there was a distinct air of confusion. Everybody stayed fairly silent. Rossi was occasionally glancing at Hotchner with a mixture of confusion and irritation.

After about fifteen minutes Reid was looking at Hotchner, the shoulders slumped down, his head wasn't raised high, and Hotch furrowed his brows. He shook his head a few times and then he looked at Reid. Reid quickly looked down at his file and avoided Hotch's gaze. _Can he tell? _Reid thought quickly. But he just as quickly dismissed it. Out of the people he had influenced none of them were able to pinpoint the source. Sure, Hotch was smart, but he wouldn't immediately make up a seemingly illogical explanation for why he'd suddenly had foreign feelings take over.

He had hidden his powers for years there was no need to worry now, even if his powers were acting up without his permission.

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_This chapter was yet again, shorter then I expected. The only reason I posted it was because I just kind of felt like this was a good enough ending and I wanted to get onto the next chapter. Tell me what you think :) Reviews make me really really really happy. I want to know how I'm doing!_

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	3. Interview it Into View

_So I actually started making a plan for this story! Which is something I usually never do, let's just hope this keeps my mind on track when it comes to writing it. Enjoy. (Also sorry for this taking a long amount of time, I was working)_

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**Interview it Into View**

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When Reid bit into the sandwich it tasted like frustration, hatred, and exhaustion. You see- a very big downside to having this power was that whoever made your food also left an imprint on whatever sustenance they were making. This is one reason why Reid didn't like to eat very much. Especially when other people have made it. _Especially_ at fast food restaurants. This is because, most people do not, in fact, enjoy their jobs and they leave the frustration, hatred, and exhaustion on the food. Yes. Frustration, hatred, and exhaustion have a taste. Reid did mind it, but it still made food often unenjoyable.

After they had gotten off the jet Rossi had _insisted_ that they go to the café across from the station. After Reid began arguing about how they wouldn't know when the victim's families were coming in (as well as a detailed reason why eating at seven pm after he being on the jet for hours was bad)- Rossi had gone up to a few officers and kindly asked them to tell them when the families came in (and ignored Reid's plight at eating late). Reid had given in, but he was still very annoyed.

"It's not that bad." Rossi said as he bit into his Italian sandwich, "The ham could be better, but overall this café could do worse."

"Mm. Easy for you to say, the guy who made it hates us." Reid left the rest of the sandwich untouched.

"Most of them do- but that doesn't change the taste." Rossi took a few more bites and wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, "If you were dehydrated then I figure you were hungry too."

So someone told him about the excuse Reid made up, "Morgan or Prentiss?"

"Both actually, they were worried about you." Rossi sat up a bit then leaned in his chair, "Neither of them bought the dehydrated thing. Though I _do_ believe it might have been a factor."

"Look Rossi I-"

"Reid, I know you weren't just dehydrated. We all know you weren't just dehydrated. I'm not asking you to tell me why you had a panic att-"

"It was not a panic attack!"

"Yes. It was. You don't need to tell me why, but if something is going to be affecting your work you need to at least tell Hotch."

Reid leveled a skeptical stare at Rossi, "It won't affect my work."

Rossi raised a finger smugly, "So you admit there is an 'it'" He smiled then took his final bite from his sandwich.

Reid groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure." He didn't mind Rossi believing something was wrong with him. In fact, something is almost _always _wrong with him. Whether it be his mother, dilaudid addiction, headaches- and now his powers. Though this time he didn't want anyone finding out. This could ruin him, or at least he thinks it could ruin him. How would the team react if they found out? It's not as if, if he told them they would ever believe him. It's not as if they would ever come to the conclusion themselves. They'd be afraid of him.

He only ever told someone about his power once. And that was his only friend in Caltech. His name was Quinn Gibson and he just felt so oddly trusting of him, he was nice to him. Never did he ever talk to him like Spencer was several years younger. He talked to him like an adult and respected him and his intelligence. By that time, Reid was still exploring his powers. Still getting to know just how far he could go- and before he made the rules for himself. He wasn't exactly sure, how or why, but Quinn had caught him one day- writing notes about emotions, and researching the power. Spencer had explained and Quinn had understood. Well he understood at first... then he moved away. Quickly and abruptly he cut off calls and Spencer had never seen him again,

So he decided never to tell anyone ever again.

"Remember, kid. Everybody's willing to talk to you about anything." Rossi looked satisfied about getting Reid to talk a bit, but he still had that annoying worried look on his face.

Reid was about to respond before he felt a bolt of grief and annoyance. Immediately connecting it to feelings back at the station he sat up from his chair and spoke, "The victim's families are here. We need to go." Spencer practically ran away from the situation and rapidly headed back to the station.

Rossi quickly caught up to him and walked beside him, "Reid. The officers haven't told us they were here ye-" His voice stopped when he caught a glimpse of crying families walk in the station. "Well you've proved me wrong." The unspoken question: How did you manage to know that? Hung in the air. Spencer didn't bother to answer and he made his way into the station.

A cop saw them walk in and greeted them with a wave. She gestured for them to come to her. When Rossi and Reid were there she spoke, "Alright well we have three separate rooms where the families are waiting. You guys can interview them whenever you need to." She went to a small desk and looked at a clipboard, "So the Leeds family is in room 5A, the Ziesmer family is in room 5B, and the Rodgers family is in room 6A." She smiled, picked up the clipboard and handed it to Rossi, "Here are all the little bits of information you need, like their names and whatnot. Call me whenever you need help! I'm Officer Ramirez." She pointed to a little name tag on her uniform and then leaved.

"Well she's prepared." Rossi muttered while reading extensive information on the families, "Definitely did her research."

Reid nodded at the clipboard then he began towards room 5A, "Well we should interview the first victim's family and so on from room 5A,B, and 6A."

Rossi had agreed with the plan and they had begun the interviews. In this particular case, in order to help him break down the wall and just have a bit of release- Reid let himself read the families. The first family was very typical, the father and mother were both struck with grief and the little seven year old sister was in shock. They hadn't gotten any relevant information from them, other then what they already knew. Their daughter Jessica was apparently a very good person, she helped the community, got good grades, did extracurricular sports... all of it was very typical of a girl who looked like she would go far in life. Spencer had to cut himself off from the family's feelings a few times, because they began to get slightly overwhelming.

The next family, Ziesmer, was very much the same. Their daughter Miranda was like a mirror to Jessica Leeds...a very good person, she helped the community, got good grades, did extracurricular sports. This just enforced the idea that these girls were targeted as a specific person, in order to paint a picture of whoever the unsub had in mind when he was killing them. The family had nothing new to offer.

Only when they made it to the last family. Rodgers- did something change.

"She's a- she's a beautiful girl. So- she's so smart, and she had perfect grades and she sh-she had such a kind heart-" The mother broke down. Her sobs echoed through the room. This time it was a single mother. There was no father in the picture. Though there was one brother. A boy with dirty-blonde hair who sat in the corner of the room and looked down at his hands. He would occasionally turn them over, tap a few times, then turn them back... but he wouldn't look up at his crying mother or the two FBI agents in the room.

"It's okay, Ms. Rodgers." Rossi said lightly, "Take as much time as you need. Was there anything suspicious? Anything strange that happened around Katherine?" He asked the same kind of questions as he asked the last family.

Reid interjected, "Remember anything can be important. Anything at all." His voice was very level and he monitored her emotions. It was the same broken sadness that was thickly covered in every one of the parents they interviewed. That's when Reid's focus shifted to the brother in the room.

Fredrick Rodgers, only one year younger than his sister. Went to the same school, got the same perfect grades- only not nearly as many extracurriculars. He was an awkward kid, not overtly ugly, though not handsome either. Not too skinny. Though not fat. Very average. Glasses sat on the tip of his nose as he stared at his upturned palms. Reid could tell his was upset too, tired, and... he just had a bit of, relief? Relief and contempt.

Reid was fairly silent the rest of the interview with the mother. Rossi had finished up all the questions with her and they were halfway through the door when Reid gripped Rossi's shoulder and spoke quietly, "I think we should interview the brother."

Rossi looked confused, "The brother is in shock Reid we won't get anything out of him."

"I really think we should, Rossi." Reid's look was serious and Rossi nodded slowly. They went back into the room and Rossi spoke.

"I just need to ask your son a few questions, is that okay?"

Reid interrupted, "Do you mind if we talk alone?" Rossi shot a look to Reid that said a lot. _What the hell are you doing_ the fact that the emotion was strong enough to be laced with an actual thought made Reid comment more, "We're not implicating him, it's just procedure."

The mother nodded and wiped her eyes, then she looked at her son, "Is that okay, honey?"

The boy turned his hands down and then rushed some fingers through his hair, "Yeah. Yeah, mom it's fine." He made a tight-lipped smile and Rossi quietly led Ms. Rodgers out of the room. Fredrick moved from his spot in the corner of the room and sat down at the chair his mom was sitting in. Reid sat down as well and waited until Rossi came back.

"So Fredrick..." Reid started slowly.

"C-Call me Fred." The boy mumbled, "Everybody calls me Fred."

Rossi sat down next to Reid and stayed silent. It was Reid's idea to interview the brother, so it was Reid's job to ask the questions.

"Okay, Fred." Reid sat up and leaned a bit towards Fred to test the waters. The brother didn't move back, which was a good sign. "What did you think of your sister?" As Reid monitored the boy he could tell that Fred felt deep anger and frustration hidden under the grief.

"She- she was a straight A student. She was really good at sports and she had a lot of friends-"

"Freddy that's not what I asked." Reid said suddenly. Rossi looked at Reid for a moment before he stared back at Fred. "What I asked why how you felt about her. Was she nice?" A wave of contempt, "Did she treat people well?" It grew more, "Your mother said she was ki-"

"She was a fucking _bitch_!" Fred slammed his palms on the table and sighed in frustration, "Everybody's making her out to be this **_AMAZING_ **person! But she wasn't. She was so _mean_. She was so _cruel_. And I fuckin- I just- she treated me _so_ badly." He calmed down quickly and rushed both hands through his hair, "I loved her and I could see she loved me but, but around her friends she treated me like I was **_shit_**."

Rossi was sitting up now, he looked at Reid- who was completely calm and was still talking to Fred. "Would you have hurt her?" Reid yet again leaned in more. He hated reading people's thoughts, but if he could just get in close enough to touch Fred he would get all the information he needed.

"No, no." Fred said it quickly, "I wouldn't. She was my sister, I wouldn't have done anything to her- but there are plenty of people who she hurt." Reid could tell he wasn't lying. There was also no reason for Fred to have killed those other girls.

"Like who?" Reid managed to reach out and lightly touch Fred's hand. Rossi had a slightly surprised look on his face now, and he glanced at the contact. Back at Reid. Then back at the contact. Then back at Reid. Spencer let Fred's thoughts run on background noise.

_Every kid in the school who wasn't in her 'clique'. Every little unpopular cretin she could find. She was always so fitting in the crowd. She always bullied people. She called me so many names. I shouldn't be happy she's dead but I AM. I'm RELIEVED she's dead. I am so happy. I am so happy and I feel so terrible because of it. I loved her. I didn't want her to die. I loved her and I'm sad she's gone but I still feel relieved. There's still that part of me that wished every night this would happen. Does that make me a psychopath? Does that make me crazy? Am I a bad person? What's wrong with me?_

"Fred he needs you to answer the question." Rossi spoke now. From his point of view it just looked like Reid intently staring at a silent boy.

Fred nodded and pulled away from Reid's contact, "Nobody seemed blatantly violent- but she bullied anybody who wasn't like her."

Reid nodded, "Fred. It's okay to feel relieved she's gone."

Fred looked up with his eyes wide, "What?"

"It's normal to be relieved when your tormentor goes away, I'm sure you loved her. And I'm sure you feel the grief, but it's perfectly normal if there's a part of you that's oddly happy. You're not a psychopath. You're not crazy. You're not a bad person. Okay?"

Fred nodded slowly. "O-okay. Thank you."

Reid got up and Rossi went with him. They brought the mother inside and then left the area. Reid quickly headed towards the room the local Arizona police prepared for them and sat down before Rossi could even say a word.

"So we should go to all the victims schools and see if this is a connection between them." Reid commented as he flipped through some maps of Arizona, "This could add to our profile and give a better idea about who our unsub may be."

"Woah, woah, Reid- what was that in there?" Rossi sat down next to Reid and pulled away the pile of maps. "I've never seen you do that before."

"Do what? Give people advice? I do it on occas-"

"No, not that. You touched the guy." Rossi looked mind-blown, "Reid, you actually had physical _contact_ with the boy."

Reid acted offended, "What? Like I hate touching people? I'm just some weirdo who is revolted by showing some compassion?" Reid pulled back the maps and looked down at them, "I'm allowed to act caring if I want to."

Rossi shook his head, "No, Reid. That's not what I meant. It's just different is all. You usually avoid any kind of contact, you don't shake hands, don't hug people- only your closest friends... it's not wrong of you. I was just wondering- what's the change?"

As Spencer stared at the map intently he couldn't help but wonder... What was the change? He never really felt the need to use his power before, in fact, he usually felt the need to do the opposite. Recently, although it seemed like it was getting much easier to use his power without getting overwhelmed. Though it was getting harder to _not_ use the power. Reid squinted and then looked up at Rossi.

"I'm... not sure." He shook his head, "I guess it just felt right."

Rossi nodded in understanding, "Good job though, kid. This could probably help us a lot with the case."

Reid smiled and he let himself relish in Rossi's pride for him. "Thanks, Rossi." He began to draw lines in between places on the map and suddenly he felt the presence of Prentiss, Morgan, and Hotchner. Overtime, Reid had found that because he knows all the members of his team so well, the emotional imprints and state of minds are now very distinctive to him. So it was easy to know when they were entering the room and simple to distinguish the differences between each of the team members emotions. He spoke without looking up from his maps, "Did you find anything particularly distinctive about the scene of the crimes?"

Rossi looked confused, "What-" Then he looked up to see the rest of the team who had just entered the room, "Oh." He shook his head and laughed, "Reid has been doing that all day."

"Doing what?" Hotchner asked and he made his way closer to them.

"Noticing things before I do." Rossi patted Reid lightly on the back, "Kid noticed the victims families were here before the other cops even knew. He helped us find what might seem like a lead. And now he knows people are coming in the room without even looking up from his maps."

Reid sighed, "I asked a question."

Prentiss took note, "We didn't find anything of note at the crimes scenes, none of them seemed similar."

Morgan pitched in, "They were pretty long drives away from each other that's for sure." He took a pause and then realized what Rossi had just mentioned, "Reid found a lead?"

Everyone seemed interested now as Reid decided to turn around and speak to them, "Maybe. We found out that the last victim was, according to her brother, a severe bully. Considering how well thought out these murders were and how much the unsub is trying to mimic a specific person... I'm fairly sure that the rest of the victim's were bullies as well."

Hotchner nodded as he spoke, "It would change our profile, but it would also make more sense. They're probably so viciously brutal in the first place because this unsub feels as if he is punishing the victims for their crimes."

"And the lilies, like Reid said, are a sign of purity. He could think he was redeeming them." Prentiss chimed in.

Rossi considered what Prentiss said, "So if the unsub thinks he's redeeming these victims and 'curing' them of their crimes... then it's possible that he is or was a high school bully himself maybe even bullied people with whoever he's picturing as these victims."

"Why do you say that?" Morgan asked.

Rossi answered, "Well lets say this guy had a high school sweetheart, blond, athletic, but she was also a bully. The fact that he wants to redeem her doesn't necessarily mean he was a victim of bullying but that he needs to repent for it, as well. The confidence and aggressiveness of this crimes attends to that... Somebody who is confident, alpha male, probably got all the girls and bullied kids in high school gets with the person he loves and then grows up. Something happens to trigger something, he feels guilt and grief not just for the women, but probably for all the things he's done. He breaks and starts killing people."

Hotch interrupted, "Although that sounds like a good preliminary profile, we need to actually talk to the children at the school in order to find out more. If the unsub knew these victims were bullies then it's possible that he stalked them at their own schools." He glanced at his watch, "It's getting late and school is already out. So everyone can go ahead and work on some preliminary work- Reid try and figure out the geographical profile- then I want all of you to get some well deserved sleep. It's been a long day."

Prentiss laughed, "You got that right. I'll review the profile and add notes at the hotel."

"Same for me." Morgan added.

"And me." Rossi got up and began to walk out the room.

Reid adjusted himself in his seat and leaned towards the Arizona maps, "I'll stay here for a geographic profile."

Everyone seemed to be content with whatever they were about to do and soon enough Reid was the only one left in the room.

This gave Spencer the alone time he needed to think. Today was a very interesting day. Most of it was spent on the jet and the rest was spent during boring interviews... but Reid couldn't help but notice in that time span he managed to use his power far more often then he had in months. Something was definitely changing and he wasn't sure what it was. He also noted how he needed to be more careful, around Rossi today he was being far too intuitive then normal and that's something the team has seem him do before... but not nearly this much. The powers are easier to control, though they're also much more powerful.

Reid was brought back to the jet, when he had influenced Hotchner to act confident without actually trying. This was very, very different for him. Influencing someone wasn't something that was easy, typically it took several minutes for him to focus on the emotions he wants to project and actually projecting them is something that takes a lot of energy. However, _accidentally_ influencing someone was something that never happened- and it was much to easy for him to feel comfortable about it.

He circled a radius around each crime scene and then glanced up at the board that was in the room. On it there were the pictures of all the girls who had been killed. Something was still very familiar about them, of course they resembled JJ to a degree and he'd met several blond women over time... but these particular girls reminded him of someone very specific. He couldn't pinpoint them and it frustrated him to no end.

The geographic profile seemed to indicate that the unsub lived somewhere in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was a very typical high end, rich white-class part of the state so he noted on the profile that the unsub is probably fairly wealthy. Or he was at least born into some type of wealth and was used to a privileged life.

After Reid exhausted all his worked he sighed and decided that it was probably time to go to the hotel and try and sleep. He pushed aside the maps and looked at the geography, happy with his work he nodded and then glanced fleetingly at the board of girls before he left the room and headed out of the station.

He called a cab reluctantly, he didn't enjoy sitting on the cheap seats that reeked of lust. Obviously two people had been having fun shorty before Reid had gotten into the cab.

Though luckily the cab ride was short and the fee was reasonable.

After he made it to his room, Reid collapsed on the bed and fell into sleep.

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_I figure that's an okay ending to the chapter. Review and tell me what you think :)_

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	4. High School Kills

_Yet again there has been a long wait. I am very sorry about that, I'm hoping to start finishing chapters in advance in order to bring them out in a reasonable time. I plan on sending a chapter out at least every week (So message me to remind me! If I don't do it yell at me!) (P.S. I also noticed a lack of Garcia in the last chapter, I shall include her in this one.)_

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**High School Kills**

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Reid ran. He ran as fast as he could and as far as his legs could carry him. Somebody was chasing him and it was hot, but fairly dark. Sand blew behind him as he ran and it clouded his vision and made him choke for breath. It looked like the sun was about to rise over the horizon and a light blue began to tint the sky as morning came. But he couldn't focus on that now. Somebody is chasing him, somebody is coming after him. Then he felt a wave of calm. Calm. He stopped immediately the sand slowly cleared and he could hear the sound of heavy shoes crunching on the gravel and sand behind him.

He wanted to run- but he was calm. He was so at ease. Why would he want to run?

"You have beautiful blonde hair." A man's voice spoke behind him.

Then Spencer woke up as his phone rang loudly throughout the hotel room. He breathed hard and heavy. He got up and grabbed his phone from the bedside table, "Yes?" His voice was labored and he was still trying to catch his breath.

_"Are you okay?"_ It was Hotch's voice and it was worried.

"I'm fine, I just woke up pretty abruptly." It was the truth, if not the whole of it. Everyone on their team is plagued by nightmares, so it's not required to mention them.

_"Well you need to get ready and quickly, a girl named Felicity Smith has been kidnapped, we believe it's by our unsub."_

"Blonde hair, athletic, good grades?" His thoughts went back to the dream he had just woken from. Was it really a dream? Was it something more? It had never been this vivid before.

_"Yes. Head over to the station quickly, I'm presenting our profile now. We'll review with Garcia when you get here. See if we can try and narrow down our suspect list and actually get a name. He usually keeps them for about a day and then kills them, so we need to hurry." _Reid listened carefully to Hotch as he spoke. The line cut and the profiler quickly got up from his bed and threw on whatever clothes he had. He knew it was going to be over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit so he reluctantly put on a short sleeve dress shirt instead of a sweater. This was particularly annoying.

It took a short amount of time to get to the station, but by the time he was there the rest of the team was already gathered. Reid entered the room swiftly and sat down. He managed to avoid any gazes.

"Sorry for presenting the profile without all of you, but it was optimal to get it done as soon as possible." Hotch said, "Also note that I specifically brought to the police officers attention that this profile was purely preliminary, some information may be wrong, but it's a good thing to work off of."

"So do we think Rossi's theory is right?" Prentiss asked.

"We're working under that assumption, yes." Hotch answered.

Morgan took out his phone, "I'm calling Garcia to help us out." He typed a number and it rang a few times. Morgan spoke out loud before Garcia could get a word out, "You're on speaker, baby girl."

_"How may I assist, chocolate thunder?" _Garcia's voice was bubbly even under the circumstances.

Rossi spoke up, "Garcia we need a search of all men in Arizona, probably around their mid thirties who work around the school system, this can include any kind of private businesses. They may have lost a wife, or girlfriend recently whether it be due to divorce or death."

_"That is a surprisingly long list of results. Can you help me narrow it down a bit more?"_

Prentiss decided to pitch in, "They got good grades in high school, and they were probably raised in a privileged environment."

_"Okaaayy, the list is getting smaller."_

"Keep in mind that their girlfriend or wife has or had blonde hair." Hotch added.

_"And I have nothing. I'll go ahead and go through the backlogs and paper trail, there must be someone who matches your description. Garcia out." _The line beeped and then closed.

As every word was spoken Reid had begun to feel a nagging familiarity with it. Raised in a privileged environment. A girlfriend or wife with blonde hair. A bully. He quickly ignored the thoughts, "So what's next?" He asked the team.

Hotch spoke, "I'll alert the media and tell them we're on a time crunch. Since the best lead we have are their high schools, Reid and Morgan, go to Felicity Jones's high school. Prentiss and Rossi, interview Felicity's parents and work with Garcia to find an applicable suspect."

Everybody nodded and disbanded. Reid quickly went towards Morgan's side, "So what highscool did Felicity go to?"

Morgan squinted in confusion, "You haven't read the file yet? That's new."

"I was rushed this morning, I didn't even retrieve the file."

"Well good for you, I read it on my way here with Prentiss. The high school is in Scottsdale, it's called Chaparral.*" Morgan quickly walk passed people in the police station and Reid followed him out the door, "We have to talk to the school workers quick, and all the kids, this girl probably doesn't have much time left." Frustration radiated off of Morgan, he was obviously stressed about the case. Reid noted it quickly as they went to the school.

In the car Spencer had come to the conclusion, in light of recent events, it was optimal to use his power as much as possible at the school. As much as he hated invading people's minds and emotions they needed to find this girl or she would die.

When they made it to the school the first person they talked to was Principal Saunders. She was a tall, wirey old woman, with a tight, white-haired bun, atop her head. After Reid shook her hand (which Morgan looked at oddly) and once they had both introduced themselves as FBI agents Spencer had managed to garner a well-rounded profile of the woman:

She feels unappreciated in her field and is a single-women of three children. Two of them attend the high school, the other is most likely already working and is probably fairly successful but not the best. She's happy to help the FBI solve the case, but she also has an intense hatred for all the bullies at her school. This includes Felicity Jones. Distaste is evident immediately to Spencer when the girl's name is mentioned.

"Do you not like her?" Reid asked without thinking. Morgan shoots him a look of confusion, but doesn't interrupt.

Principal Saunders looked slightly surprised, but not offended, "So I suppose what they say about profilers is right." She smiled sadly, "The girl- she received perfect grades and did fantastic in sports..."

"What did _you_ think of her?" Reid insisted.

"She was unkind. There were many complaints from other students claiming she hurt them, but none of them came to fruition. All of her fellow bullies always backed her up, gave her alibis and-" The woman shook her head, "I would have never hurt anyone. I wouldn't have hurt her, but she had plenty of victims who I'm sure wouldn't give a second thought about doing something to her."

Morgan finally caught up and spoke, "We don't want to rule out anybody, but we're under the assumption that the unsub-"

"Unsub?" The principal asked.

"Unidentified Subject." Reid interrupted.

Morgan nodded and continued, "We're under the assumption that this a man, mid-thirties, he probably works somewhere around the school system. Or close enough so that he won't be questioned- he also has a decent income."

"Well as you can imagine, working around high schools doesn't earn you too much income." She paused to think, but Reid knew she didn't have anything. "I can't think of anyone suspicious around the school lately."

"That's fine ma'am." Morgan said, "Do you know who Felicity's friends are?"

Saunders nodded, "Yes." The principal went towards her desk and rifled through a few papers before plucking out one and handing it to Morgan. "This is a list of all her classes and room numbers. I recommend going to Mr. Monaco's classroom first. The class is in session at the moment with her classmates and friends." Principal Saunders smiled, "Feel free to talk to me if you need any more information."

"Absolutely, Ms. Saunders." Morgan shook her hand and Reid went to follow. They made it to the hallway and began to walk towards Mr. Monaco's classroom. "So Reid..." Morgan began. Since Spencer was on high alert he immediately noticed the confusion from Morgan. "How did you know she had a dislike for Felicity as a bully? Because I didn't see any body language indicating it, and she seemed very professional..." Morgan trailed off so Reid could answer.

"I just assumed." Reid said slowly, "Principals tend to know what's happening in their school. Since Felicity was a bully, it was likely that Saunders knew about it. Since the principal has children of her own at this school, she's probably frustrated about the bullies because her children can be directly affected."

"Was the children an assumption too?" Morgan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

Morgan looked like he was ready to ask more questions, but decided to stay quiet. The short walk to the classroom was finished and they finally made it to Mr. Monaco's door and opened it slowly. A man, probably in his mid-fifties, stood by the whiteboard and talked about calculus. All the students in the room were fairly focused, and only few noticed when the FBI agents entered the room.

"Mr. Monaco we'd like to talk to you for a moment." Reid spoke up and the teacher quickly stopped and looked at the agents. All the other students suddenly looked up from their papers, or from the board and everyone's attention was on the two FBI agents. Reid quickly became overwhelmed, emotions like confusion, interest, fear, and surprise all rushed through him at once and it took all his composure to not walk out of the room. His hand clenched quickly and Morgan glanced at Reid in concern.

Mr. Monaco put down his dry-erase marker and nodded at the agents as a yes. Then he focused his attention back on the class, "Start practice questions five through fifteen on page two-fifty-seven please. I'll be back soon." All the students listened to Monaco and brought out their books and flipped pages. The man went towards Reid and Morgan and gestured for them to go out into the hallway. Morgan followed with the occasionally glance at Reid. Who now silently clenched his hand back and forth.

Usually this wouldn't be a problem. Thirty-three kids in a classroom shouldn't bother Reid... but now that his powers were getting stronger it was all the more overwhelming.

"So what can I help you with, gentlemen?" Mr. Monaco asked them with a small smile. Reid got a sliver of confusion, anger, and frustration all at once from the man.

Reid stayed silent and Morgan spoke, "I'm Supervisory Special Agent Agent Derek Morgan." He shook Mr. Monaco's hand then gestured towards Reid, "This is SSA Dr. Spencer Reid."

Reid reluctantly put out his hand and shook Mr. Monaco's.

_What are these fucking FBI agents doing here. I'm teaching a fucking class and they have to barge their fucking asses in. What the fuck? First Felicity didn't show up and now these fucking dicks are here-_

The thought was abruptly cut off when Spencer finished shaking his hand. Well he wasn't the unsub...but he certainly wasn't a very nice person.

"FBI agents? Wow!" The teacher looked happy, but Reid could sense the irritation, "I've never seen one of you guys before. What's this about?"

Spencer answered, "We're investigating some recent murders around the state. Just today we received news of Felicity Jones disappearance and we wanted to know if you had any viable information for us." Reid focused on talking over the different emotions that radiated over Mr. Monaco. Reid had met people like this before, sometimes the emotions and thoughts surrounding a person are drastically different then how they act. Mr. Monaco was obviously a cynical, irritated, angry person- but his appearance on the outside spoke to a kind, caring, and helpful person. It threw the profile off, and it made it hard to focus.

"Felicity Jones? She's been taken?" Mr. Monaco's eyebrows knitted in concern, and Reid nearly sighed in relief when the emotions matched the facial expression. This man seemed legitimately surprised now, with a sliver of worry. "What do you need to know?"

Morgan spoke, "Well firstly we want to know if you've seen any suspicious people around her lately. He was probably in his mid-thirties. He may work in or around the school system... Some of his victims have been Jessica Leeds, Miranda Ziesmer and Katherine Rodgers. Do you recognize any of these names? Did they have any connection to Felicity?"

Mr. Monaco shook his head, "No. I'm sorry, I haven't noticed anything off lately and I don't recognize any of those names." Reid didn't detect a lie, "Maybe you should ask her friends. They're practically glued to Felicity and they tend to participate in the same activities, study groups, and so on..."

"Do you mind pointing them out for us?" Morgan asked.

The teacher shook his head, "Not at all. I'll go ahead and call them out here." Reid could tell the teacher seemed significantly less irritated now. Morgan thanked Mr. Monaco as he went back into the classroom. Then he immediately turned to Reid.

"What was that in there, man?"

"What was what?" Reid asked in feigned confusion.

"You seemed really uncomfortable when we went into the classroom."

Reid could either lie and say Morgan was pulling something out of nothing, or he could tell the partial truth and say the amount of people in the room made him uncomfortable. The former meant Morgan would be constantly questioning him and talking to the team about it. The latter meant he would be concerned for him and probably pity him, but not ask anymore questions.

"The amount of people in the room made me uncomfortable." He chose the latter.

Morgan looked partially surprised, but nodded in understanding. Then came the influx of concern and worry. Reid could deal with it, to a degree. Soon after a line of children came out of the classroom with Mr. Monaco soon behind. There were three high-school students standing around in confusion now, ready to be spoken to by the FBI agents.

Mr. Monaco turned towards the agents and gestured to the students, "These are some of Felicity's best friends: Mikol, Tiffany, and Alan... do you mind if I continue teaching my class while you talk to them?"

"Not at all." Morgan answered. Mr. Monaco seemed grateful for the sentiment and went back into the classroom.

Reid assessed the three students before them. Mikol seemed somewhat non-concerned with the entire fiasco, he was standing around with a perpetual smug look on his face. Tiffany was a tall black girl, she seemed worried and fidgety. Alan was a boy with deep black hair, similar to Mikol he had an apathetic nature to him, but Reid could tell he was worried under his exterior guise.

Morgan looked towards the kids, "We're Supervisory Special Agents Derek Morgan and Dr. Spencer Reid. We'd like to ask all of you a few question regarding Felicity Jones disappearance."

"I _knew_ something was up!" Tiffany piped up, "She texts me _every_ day and I didn't get _one_. Not _one_ text from her. I _knew_ it." She looked to both her friends eagerly.

Mikol rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we get it Tiff. Shut up, now. We don't care." The other boy, Alan, had an obvious distaste for Mikol's attitude, but didn't comment.

Spencer decided to intervene, "Did you notice anything suspicious the days leading to her abduction? Maybe a strange person coming up to you and asking questions? Or somebody spending too much time with Felicity?"

The three of them exchanged glances and seemed to agree on something without speaking. Then they all shook their head and Alan spoke, "No. I didn't notice anything."

"Neither did I." Tiffany said.

"Me neither." Mikol popped in.

Morgan nodded and continued to ask them routine questions while Reid observed. They all seemed to be telling the truth- if they were doing it in a disrespectful way, then so be it. At least they weren't hiding anything.

Morgan nodded, "Well we want to ask you one more question, do you recognized any of these names? Jessica Leeds, Miranda Ziesmer and Katherine Rodgers."

"No." All them chorus at the same time. But then Reid noticed.

Tiffany. She recognized a name and Spencer automatically knew she was lying.

Morgan apparently didn't notice, "Well go back to your classroom, we might ask you questions later if anything happens."

All of them nodded, and waves of relief rushed over Spencer as they radiated off the students. Mikol and Alan went into the classroom and Tiffany trailed behind, but Reid stopped her, "Tiffany we want to ask you a few questions alone." Morgan looked at Reid for a moment, and then turned his attention back to Tiffany.

The girl wrung her hands and went back in front of them, "O-okay. What is it?"

Reid leaned towards her, "You recognized one of the names that Agent Morgan listed. How?"

Tiffany shook her head, "I told you I didn't recognize any of them." She seemed scared, and concerned, and worried, but there was no guilt from her. Reid put out his hand comfortingly rested it on the side of her arm. Then the influx came.

"Tiffany, listen to me." _I care about Felicity, I do, but what if the killer comes after me? What if something happens?_ "Nobody is going to hurt you."_ He's lying you know he's lying, these agents are lying-_ "I have no reason to lie to you." _Tell him. Tell him about the tutors. Tell him, and everything will be fine._ "It's fine, Tiffany."

Tiffany breathed in a few times and read could hear her thoughts before she said them. "Felicity went to tutoring after school on every Friday. She would tell me about the other girls there, Katherine and Jessica and Miranda. She didn't know them very well, and when they started leaving the tutoring she got suspicious- but- I- I don't know anything else." She gasped, "What if he comes for me too? Oh, god... What if he hurts me?"

Then Reid felt sympathy when he realized why she was so scared. _I can't let anybody hurt me like that again. I can't let them. I can't let them- them- I can't let them **rape** me. He'll hurt me. He'll hurt me. He'll hurt me._

"Tiffany, he won't hurt you. Nobody will hurt you as long as you tell the truth."_ The truth?_ "If anybody tries to hurt you, the best thing is to tell somebody." _Does he know? How can he know?_ "I'll write down my phone number."_ What? _Reid shuffled through his shoulder bag and took out a notepad, quickly scribbling his number down. He placed his hand back on her and handed it to her. _Is he really doing this?_ "If you ever need anything call me, please."

Then the details of her attack began to rush through her mind and Reid took his hand off her. That was too personal. That was too far.

Tiffany looked slightly frightened, and Reid could feel she was. But she also seemed thankful. And relieved. "O-Okay. I will." _I will. _The thought resonated through him, and he new it was strong because he was no longer touching her. She was telling the truth.

"You can go back, now." He said softly. Tiffany nodded dumbly and glanced at the number in her hands before she walked back into the classroom.

Morgan looked at Reid with a look of surprise on his face, "How did you know she recognized the names?"

"I just felt it." Reid answered. And it was completely true.

"Do you think she'll tell you?" That's how Spencer knew Morgan was a profiler. He obviously caught on to the fact that she was assaulted in someway. Most people wouldn't be so frightened, if anything slightly creeped out, but she was petrified.

"I think she will. On her own time." Reid looked at the classroom and was glad he could help somebody.

Morgan nodded, "Well we need to tell everyone about the connection. I'll call them."

Morgan dialed the phone and talked to the team about the connection as they were walking out of the large school. Hotch managed to get Garcia on the phone and ask why they haven't seen the connection before. It turned out that all the girls attended a private tutoring business and paid in cash, that's why she didn't find anybody on the school systems. She did further research while they were on the phone while everyone was pitching in and then she spoke.

"_I found a match!" _She choruses over the phone.

"Go ahead and tell us, baby girl." Morgan answered.

"_Well there is a man, who is in his mid-thirties. He attended a Las Vegas high school and got good grades, married his high-school sweetheart- who is actually a fake blonde, by the way- and moved to Arizona after she was oh-"_ She gasped, "_She was brutally murdered in their home, her head was cut off like the victims. Apparently the man quit his job and made a the private tutoring business in Scottsdale..."_

_"A name, Garcia?" _Reid heard Hotch's voice over the phone and everything began to fall into place.

"_His name is Josh Hudson, and his wife was Samantha._"

* * *

_Dun, dun, **duuuuuunnnn**. For those of you who don't remember, those are the names of Reid's tormentors in the first chapter. How many of you found out before then? I'm sure many of you. I left a lot of clues all over the place._

_Well I plan on releasing another chapter soon._

_Please review!_

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	5. It

_Hello! Happy to get this chapter out quickly :) I got it out in a week. Awesome. I plan on sending out a chapter every Thursday- so be awaiting!_

_One thing I forgot to mention last chapter! *Chaparral is a real school in Scottsdale, Arizona. I've only been there a few times so I don't actually know how the school works, or who any of the teachers are... It is completely a work of fiction!_

* * *

**Previously: **

_"A name, Garcia?" _Reid heard Hotch's voice over the phone and everything began to fall into place.

"_His name is Josh Hudson, and his wife was Samantha._"

* * *

**It**

* * *

As soon as the name was said everything came rushing back to Reid. He tightly closed his eyes and clenched his hands. He stood stock still, and tense, next to Morgan.

Josh Hudson. Josh Hudson. Samantha Lange. Samantha Lange.  
Them.  
The people who _killed_ him. Who _made_ him this way.

That must be why this case felt different, that's why every time he looked at those poor murdered girls he felt like he'd seem them before. They all looked like Samantha. Their complexions were the same, their overall tone palette, their everything. That's why everything felt so familiar. Damn! Why hadn't he figured this out before?! They could have stopped Felicity from getting kidnapped!

He ran his hand quickly through his hair and took a deep breath.

"You okay, Reid?" Morgan asked, Reid didn't answer. "Reid?"

_"What's wrong with Reid?" _Reid started when he heard Prentiss's voice from the phone. Of course they were on speaker phone, of _course_.

Spencer composed himself, "I just think I've heard those names before."

"Reid you don't just 'hear names before' you remember exactly who they were. What do you mean?" Morgan wasn't buying it.

Reid decided to form his answer as a question, "Garcia."

_"Yes?"_

"Was Samantha's maiden name Lange?"

There was pause and then Garcia answered, "_Yeah... Reid... Did you know her? Do you know Josh Hudson?_"

"They just went to the same high school as me. There's-" He paused, "They weren't exactly my friends. I didn't keep up with them after high school and I don't know them currently. In fact, Josh probably doesn't even remember me." Of course he promptly left out that both Josh and his now dead wife were exceedingly violent bullies. Of course he wouldn't tell them that _yes_ Josh would _definitely_ remember the twelve-year-old boy he nearly murdered all those years ago. "It won't affect me on the case, I was a just a bit startled."

There was silence for a few seconds before Hotch's serious voice erupted from the phone._ "This shouldn't affect the case ruling once we find him. But I don't want you getting to close to Josh when we apprehend him."_ There was another silence and Reid assumed it was Hotch turning to the team on the other end off the phone, "_I do **not** want this affecting our thoughts on the case. I'm sending Prentiss and Rossi to his home with some local police, Reid and Morgan, come back to the precinct. Our top priority is finding Felicity alive and if he's not at the unsub's home then it's best for you two to be working here."_

"Sure, Hotch."

There were then some muttered agreements and then Morgan hung up the phone.

"So you knew him?" Morgan asked as they finally made it out of the school.

"I didn't really talk to them much." He didn't talk. They did all the talking. He just took it.

"Well according to the profile-"

"According to what in the profile?" Reid stopped before they got into the car, "Because Morgan, there's nothing of relevance I can tell you and there's no point talking about it."

Morgan was doubtful, "According to the profile, both him and his wife were bullies in highschool... And considering how violent these crimes are I'd say he was increasingly violent as a bully as well. And I know you had a hard time when you were younger..."

"That's not relevant. None of it is relevant, it won't affect the case." Reid opened the passenger seat door and got into the car. "Let's go. No more questions." Morgan didn't say anything and got beside Reid in the car. Then he drove out of the lot and they sat beside each other in tense silence.

Reid would usually feel free to talk about his problems with Morgan. He'd already told Morgan some of his most painful experiences in high school... but something about this was too personal. There was an attempted murder, they tried to hide his body in the woods and afterwards he suddenly found himself feeling everyone else's emotions and detecting imprints- none of it was normal. None of it was rational, and there was absolutely no reason he should tell _anyone_ about it.

In fact sitting in this car now, even after all the _years_ of him wondering why he had this 'gift' he still couldn't comprehend why this happened to him. Why him? Why is he the only one? Is he the only one? Why did this have to pop up now? Because even if Josh Hudson was a violent, terribly bully- Reid couldn't bring himself to think of him as a murderer. Sure he _accidentally_ nearly killed Reid, but Reid knew he felt the guilt and he was _sure_ that all of the people involved in the incident would be impacted their entire life by it. That's one of the reasons he didn't mention the assault to the police: The group knowing what they did was punishment enough.

Why did Josh marry Samantha? Probably because of the ordeal they went through. If they didn't nearly kill a twelve-year-old boy, if they didn't bond over the guilt they had for so severely beating little Spencer nearly to death- then they would have never stayed together. What about David Hart and Connor House? They participated in the assault as well... Where were they? What did they feel about the assault? Did they stay in contact with Josh and Samantha?

So many unanswered questions rushed through the profiler's mind. He hadn't thought about this in years and now all the doubts he had about his power and all the fear and strangeness he harbored because of it came through him once again. He had hoped that his doubt and questions were over, but he was obviously wrong.

Spencer glanced out the window and saw the cars as they passed by. He let his power reached out and grasp at the people in the cars and he let himself bathe in the foreign emotions to wash out his own. So many people and their complicated lives, all of them had their own emotions and thoughts to share with him and it was amazing. Most seemed stressed, probably returning from work or heading to their next shift. Others were excited, and some were simply calm. It all fazed back and forth and changed as the cars changed and some turned away, other lingered, those were the intense ones. It wasn't overwhelming for once.

But Reid's relaxation was abruptly halted when a fast car with an irritated driver passed by quickly. Morgan even commented, "Well he's going over the speed limit."

Reid looked at the car. And thought to himself,_ calm down_, the car immediately slowed down and began going the speed limit. "He's going the speed limit now." And yet Reid oddly didn't care that he made this happen. He didn't _care_ that he affected somebody's emotions without any_ important_ reason. Why was this becoming so easy to do? And why had it suddenly become natural to him?

"You okay, Reid?" Morgan asked him.

"What?" What would be wrong with him?

"You have a nosebleed."

Reid brought his hand up to his face and touched something wet. Then he looked down at his hand and saw the blood. So it did affect him. "I'll be fine, sometimes they happen."

"You get them often?" Morgan asked again, and them came the influx of concern.

"I'm _fine_ Morgan. They happen _sometimes_." He insisted while he tried to rub away the blood.

Morgan didn't continue and it only took a few more minutes until they made their way into the station parking lot. As soon as they parked Reid immediately opened the car door, took his bag, and walked quickly towards the station. He had used his power too much in too short a time and he could certainly sense the confusion and suspicion from Morgan- he needed to get away from him and he _needed_ to take a break from his gift.

He could hear Morgan behind him- no- he could _feel_ Morgan behind him. The whipping worry and pity was _irritating_. He made it into the station and Morgan follow closed behind, then-

_Why does he always avoid u- _Reid shoved Morgan's hand off his arm as soon as he touched him.

"I'm just trying to get to the office quickly." Reid made as an excuse to the question that Morgan didn't even say out loud.

Morgan seemed to accept the answer, albeit grudgingly. Reid had continued his walk to the office calmly and when they made it he set down his bag and spotted Hotch on the phone outside the office area. He read his lips, they had apprehended Hudson, Felicity is going to the hospital, and they're heading over now. A lot of the information he got probably wasn't just from reading Hotch's lips, and it had to do a lot with monitoring his emotions and state of mind... but Reid chose to ignore that.

After Hotch hung up the phone he began towards the office and then walked inside, "They've apprehended Hudson. Felicity is safe and she's being sent to the hospital, they think she might be in shock- apparently she didn't respond to anyone's questions and it seems like she may not start speaking for a while. Prentiss and Rossi are heading over now with Hudson- Reid- I don't want you going near him for now... but since Felicity isn't talking we might need to get him to admit to the crimes... and if we find someone he knows..." Hotch's words got slower and Reid understood.

"I understand. I don't mind interviewing him if I have to, my connection to him can help him confess. I know that." Reid was nervous, _very_ nervous, about interviewing Josh. If he were to be completely honest with himself he knew it wasn't necessarily a good idea- but if it meant putting him away, if it meant saving more girls and keeping people safe then he'd _have_ to.

Then Reid felt him. He straightened his posture and put his chin out. It was a quick and dramatic movement. Morgan and Hotchner didn't comment on it, but they certainly noticed, both giving Reid a strange look. Both their attentions followed Reid when he turned around and watched Josh being walked into the station.

He was obviously more mature. He was taller, bigger, and he had a stronger jawline then the last time Reid saw him. Josh was an attractive teenager and turned to an even more attractive man- it was no wonder the girls trusted him and didn't see anything wrong... and he looked... he didn't look scared, he looked calm, but only calm. Reid let himself sense Josh's emotions and state of mind- and he found that it was very similar to how it was in high school, only less intense. Josh seemed overall... fairly empty. Like a muffled sound- that was Josh's personality. How severely had this man been broken?

Reid nearly let himself feel pity for Josh, but old bitterness took over and he wouldn't let himself feel bad for a bully.

After Prentiss and Rossi had led Josh into the interrogation room, them, and a medic, went over to the office where everybody else stood and greeted them.

"How's Felicity?" Hotchner asked the lone medic in the room.

"She doesn't look like she'll be talking for a while. She seemed very out of it, and wouldn't talk to anybody. She's not injured and it doesn't look like there is any physical damage... but we think she may be under the influence of a drug- the lab reports will be out in about a day- and without knowledge of what she's been affected with, we won't be able to treat her."

"Thank you. Please tell us if she talks, or if her condition changes." Hotchner made a tight-lipped smile at the medic. The medic then nodded in acknowledgement and left the office.

"It was like nothing we've ever seen." Prentiss finally spoke up, "When Rossi and I went in with all the other police officers, Felicity was just calmly sitting across from Josh. There was no evidence of restraints, both of them seemed very calm and when we came in they just looked up at us like we interrupted a conversation- then after we searched the house we didn't find any murder weapons, or evidence of struggle. It was very clean and it seemed perfectly normal... it was..."

"It was very odd." Rossi added, "I don't have a doubt about Hudson being the killer- but Felicity was definitely under the influence of some type of drug, I wouldn't be surprised if Hudson took some either."

"Did they take a blood sample from Hudson?" Morgan asked.

"They weren't going to at first, but we assured it." Prentiss answered.

Reid couldn't help but think about how Josh was in high school. Calm and collected didn't describe him. "Did Josh say anything as you brought him in? Or fight in anyway?"

"He was quiet, didn't fight anybody, and went with us willingly." Rossi then added, "But then again, I really think he's under the influence."

Reid nodded in acknowledgement. That was the most likely explanation- unless the death of his wife changed his personality so drastically that even the root of his stubbornness was chipped down to nothing.

"Have we put charges on him?" Hotchner asked.

"We arrested him, but no charges have been filed. Without any evidence, or Felicity talking we can't hold him for long." Rossi answered.

Morgan commented, "So at we have 24 hours if no one talks. At most 96 if we manage to get a judge to agree..." He was frustrated. They all knew Josh Hudson did it, but without any physical evidence and no witnesses- charging would be harder then expected.

"It's a sticky situation." Prentiss mimicked Morgan's tone of frustration.

Hotch took charge, "Then we should get to work, quickly. Everybody should be working to get Hudson to confess. We'll begin interviewing him one by one. Prentiss should probably go in first because having a women interview him might help. I want everyone to go in before Reid tries, he's our last option if all else fails." Then Hotch turned seriously to Reid, "Reid. I need you to stay out of this for now. You can stay near the interview room, tell us if you notice anything, but I do _not _want him seeing you until I tell you."

Reid nodded. Then everybody disbanded and went off toward the interrogation room. Reid could feel Josh's emotions get closer and closer and suddenly Spencer stood outside the interrogation room and looked at Josh. Josh sat silently, his gaze was focused intently on his hands. One hand fiddled with the others finger, a wedding ring, Josh gripped the ring and turned it around his finger over and over and over with a blank look on his face. As Reid tried to dig for Josh's emotions he found that they were very deeply underneath and empty exterior. Like the emotions were covered by a thick cover, he could feel Josh, one just like high school- but above that was nothing. An unsettling emptiness.

Reid nearly let himself get overwhelmed by the quiet, like everything slowed down- is this what it felt like to Josh? Overwhelming nothing?

Quickly, Reid removed himself from Josh and broke whatever connection that was letting him feel what Josh felt.

That's when Reid noticed that Morgan and Rossi stood beside him. They were both looking intently at Josh, when Prentiss walked in to interview him.

Prentiss sat down in the chair in front of Josh, the back of her head to the men in the viewing room, "So." She opened up a file she set in front of her, "Josh Hudson. You know why you're here, right?"

Josh didn't look up. He continued to turn the ring around his finger incessantly.

"Josh, you killed three woman, we want to know why." Her tone was light, "Jessica..." She put out a photo of the dead high school student in front of him, "Miranda..." Another photo.l "Katherine..." Another photo. "You killed them Josh. You cut their heads off and left them brutally separated from their body. Why?" Josh didn't look up. He turned the ring. "What drugs did you give them so they didn't fight?" Prentiss's voice was beginning to get more aggressive. Reid realized it was a tactic. "Why did you kill your wife, Josh?"

Josh didn't look up. He stopped turning the ring.

"You didn't put lilies on your wife, Josh. Was she not worthy of the purification? Was she not worth your time?" Reid could feel that Prentiss had hit a nerve. The tension in the interrogation room was thick.

"I didn't." Josh said silently. He didn't look up.

"What?"

"I didn't kill my wife." He mumbled. Then he began to turn the ring around his finger again.

"Did you kill those girls?" Prentiss gestured toward the pictures that Josh didn't bother to pay attention to. Josh didn't speak and he continued the incessant movements over and over and over and the emptiness and emotionlessness returned to the room. Prentiss was back to square one.

Reid heard Rossi and Morgan say something to each other, but Reid wasn't paying attention. It was probably something akin to what Reid had been thinking- Prentiss wasn't going to get any further with Josh, he was too shut down. She came close by mentioning his wife, but not close enough. Reid watched as Prentiss went over all the general questions, techniques, she used her feminine traits to try and bait him- but Josh never bit. He was too calm. Too empty. Almost like he'd done too much, seen too much, been engulfed by so many emotions- that there was nothing of substance left.

After Prentiss had finished questioning she came back out and walked over to the rest of the team. Hotchner had been watching her too, and many words were exchanged on Hudson's silence.

Prentiss practically put her hands up in defeat, "I can't get through to him. I came close when I mentioned his wife and I jabbed him in every way I could, but I can't get through to him." She shook her head, "Morgan, Rossi, and Hatcher- you go ahead and try your techniques, but I don't see use getting any closer until we use Reid. You know, JJ would probably be really helpful in this situation." Reid didn't catch on to the statement at first until he realized that all the girls fit JJ's physical description. Even thinking about it nearly had him cringe.

"Well we don't have JJ, at the moment." Morgan said, "I go ahead in next. Then I guess Rossi could go- Hotch you've always been good at interrogation let's hope you get him to crack."

Hotchner looked doubtful.

Morgan went into the interrogation room. After speaking for about fifteen minutes, using the tough guy technique. He began to harass Josh- he told him how disgusting what he'd done was- how his wife would be disgusted with him. Josh had froze for two seconds before continuing his repetitive movements. That's when Rossi came in, and they began to play the good cop, bad cop routine. Rossi had told Morgan to lay off, asked if Josh had wanted any water, coffee, or food. Josh hadn't budged.

Then Morgan had left in 'rage' and Rossi had sat comfortably in front of Josh. Rossi used soft, subtly manipulative, and charming lexis. Every word was perfectly thought out, every statement was well executed, every idea was perfectly defined. It was something that Reid could tell was perfected by years of police work. Even Rossi's questions didn't make Josh budge and Hotch was the last person that was up.

Reid could feel Hotch's doubt. And before he went into the interrogation room Hotch gave Reid a strong look, something that said: I won't get through to him. Be prepared to face him.

Hotch used his dry, clean-cut, and straightforward interrogation technique. None of the manipulations and wordplays evident in Rossi's interrogation were used. None of the slight assumptions and violations evident in Prentiss's interrogation were used. None of the aggressiveness and irritation evident in Morgan's interrogation were used. Hotchner was Agent Hotchner- and he let Josh Hudson know the truth.

None of it worked.

Hotchner came out of the interrogation room. He didn't looked surprised or defeated. It's exactly what he had expected, "It's time for you to go in Reid. If he doesn't recognize you we won't get through to him. So if he doesn't know you..."

"I have to tell him who I am." Reid finished.

"Exactly." Hotchner had confidence in Reid and Reid took solace in it.

After seeing how Josh was- how out of it and empty he really was... Spencer couldn't help but think to himself that maybe Josh _wouldn't_ remember him.

Reid took a deep breath.

"Good luck, kid." He heard Rossi say.

"Same." Morgan replied.

"You'll do fine." Prentiss added.

Reid nodded and took another breath, "I'm going in." He walked slowly to the door of the interrogation room and then opened it. He went inside silently and a cold burst of air engulfed him quickly. They kept it cold in the interrogation room. Reid didn't let himself look at Josh yet. He let the door lightly closed behind him and then looked at the man sitting at the table.

Spencer suddenly became twelve again. He felt small.

_"You **really **thought I was telling the truth?" It was Josh's voice and a girl's laughter along with two other male laughs accompanied by it. "Come on Spencer- why would we ever say sorry?" Josh swung his foot and hit the twelve year old in the stomach. "You make us all look-" He kicked again, "Like-" Again, "**IDIOTS**!" _

Spencer took a sharp breath in and looked at Josh. This was high school. This wasn't before graduation.

Josh was still looking intently at his hands and Spencer knew that he didn't see who was in the room. He didn't even know what Prentiss, Morgan, Rossi, and Hotch looked like. He never looked up at any of them.

Spencer walked over to the table and carefully pulled out the chair and sat down, "Do you remember me?" It was all Reid said. He didn't need to introduce himself yet. Josh didn't look up at him, but he stopped twisting his ring and tilted his head. Spencer didn't expect Josh to remember him simply by voice. Reid's voice had gotten significantly different since he was twelve. "I'm Dr. Spencer Reid."

Josh looked up. He looked at Reid like he was a ghost and his eyes were wide and suddenly Spencer could feel a whole flood of emotions rise to Josh's surface. Fear and regret was the strongest. "You came back to life." Was all he said.

"I came back to life?" Reid managed to keep his voice level. But it was wavering on the breaking point.

"You came back to life. I killed you. You came back to life." Josh tilted his head, "I'm sorry. God didn't want you to die." He shook his head and gripped his head, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. They told me to stay sorry. I'm sorry."

"Josh, who told you to say sorry?" Spencer tried to invite himself into Josh's emotions but there was nothing there. The emptiness was returning.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I hurt you so bad. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Josh was frantically gripping at his hair now.

"Josh, why did you kill those girls?" Reid needed to get to business.

"I didn't! I **_didn't_**!" He slammed his hands on the table, "I didn't do it Spencer. I **_DIDN'T_." **His eyes were beginning to water and he wiped his face quickly, "My body. It was my body's fault. My body. My body. My body."

"What was you're body's fault, Josh?" Reid leaned in. He needed the confession. Josh _needed_ to confess.

"Nothing. _Nothing_. _**NOTHING**_." Josh was beginning to get more and more frantic. He was becoming agitated and Reid would never get through to him this way.

That's when Reid decided.

"You will tell me the _truth_. What did you do?"

Josh's body language changed. The emptiness returned and was suddenly replaced with Reid's call for honesty. Reid's powers were taking over and Josh spoke, "I killed them. I killed all the girls. I didn't kill my wife, but I killed them. They were calm as I cut their heads off. I needed to purify them. They needed to be cured of their hatred towards those who are different- they need to be cured of the kind of person who I used to be. They needed to be cured. I needed to kill them. But I didn't want to kill them. Something made me. Some overwhelming urge inside of me I could feel it rising, it was telling me to do it. It made me do it. It. It. _It_. _**It**_. My body did it. My body killed them. My hands cut off their heads but my mind didn't want to." Josh stopped speaking.

"Thank you for telling the truth." Reid cut himself from Josh and he could see the change in the man's body immediately as he stopped.

Josh's eyes were full of frantic fear, and his hands were shaking. He took full gasps in and began to shake all over, "You- you- what was that?"

"You just confessed, Josh. You'll be charged an-"

"What did you **_DO_**?!" Josh stood up and began to cry, "You're it. You're IT. You're IT. _IT_. YOU'RE **_IT_**. _YOU MADE ME DO IT_. **_YOU MADE ME! YOU MADE ME KILL THEM!_**" Josh screamed at the top of his lungs and that's when Reid stood up and backed away from him.

The room to the interrogation room opened and it was Hotch that pulled him out of the room frantically.

What had he done?

* * *

_There it is :) This is the longest chapter I wrote so far. And let me tell you it was hard to get what I wanted right._

_What did you think? How was it? Tell me in the reviews!_

_Thanks,_

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	6. Grand Mal

_Happy Thursday! Enjoy._

* * *

**Grand Mal**

* * *

When Reid was quickly pulled from the situation everything became a blur. He could hear the panicked, loud yelling of Josh in the interrogation room and rustling that was probably someone trying to calm him down. Reid was pushed down into a chair in an empty office room and when he looked up he found the person standing before him: Aaron Hotchner.

"Reid. You need to tell me the _truth_. What's been happening to you recently? What's your true involvement in this case?" His tone was serious and he was assertive. Reid was about to make an excuse until Hotch spoke before him, "Don't lie to me, because you've been doing it to this whole team and I can see it affecting your work. You've been doing unusually well lately, and I'm not doubting you- but your relationship on this team is wavering."

Reid hadn't seen that. He was punching himself in the gut for not seeing that. Of course they were concerned for him, but as he let himself assess the feelings of his team while he sat down in silence he finally noticed: Morgan, Prentiss, Rossi, and Hotchner were all concerned... All of them felt pity for the problems he presented, but underneath that there was a degree of suspicion that he couldn't deny. What did they think he was doing? Did they think he knew Josh was doing it before-hand? Did they think he had contact with him? Getting information from other sources? Taking dilaudid again? Reid doubted that the team would deduce he had a supernatural power. As he thought he could feel Hotchner slowly getting more and more concerned over time.

"Reid?" Hotchner was about to put his hand on Reid's shoulder but Reid spotted it immediately and stood away. Being careful not to touch Hotch.

He took a few steps back quickly, "_Don't_ touch me." He wouldn't let himself invade his teammates privacy again, he couldn't let himself lose it. "Do _not_ touch me, please Hotch." Reid could see the gears working in Hotch's head. He could feel his confusion rise and peak at a sharp turn of interest. Hotchner was profiling him. Reid changed his approach when he realized and made himself relax.

Reid took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "I didn't do anything in that interrogation room-"

"Reid I said tell the tr-"

"I am!" Spencer said loudly. Hotchner wasn't startled. "I am. Just- Just let me speak Hotch..." Reid caught his breath and began again, trying to be calmer. "I didn't do anything to him other then tell him to tell the truth." That was true, "You saw that and I didn't know Josh was the killer before the whole team figured it out. I could have come close, and I nearly thought it to myself but I didn't make the connection. You see Hotch I tried to close Josh and his dead wife out of my mind for years. For _years_ I denied I even _knew_ them."

Hotchner decided to question Reid, "When you said Josh probably wouldn't remember you. Were you lying?" Reid could tell that Hotch already knew the answer but he spoke anyway.

"Yes." The tension in the room rose.

"Reid..." Hotchner's voice was soft. It was the voice he used for victims. "What happened?"

"Hotch they were bullies. That's the simplest way to put it." That was a lie. The simplest way to put it was- _they knocked me out, I think I died, they dropped me in the woods. By some miracle I survived. _Even thinking it made Reid feel ridiculous, _and I woke up with poWERS! _

Hotch could tell he wasn't mentioning the whole truth, "What did they do, Reid? I need to know because without a full history, our profile, and even confession is out the window."

"It changes the profile."

"How?"

"He feels guilt. Overwhelming guilt over what he's done to other people, the aggressiveness isn't necessarily towards his wife or the girls, but himself."

"Why?"

That was a question Reid was hoping Hotch wouldn't ask, but he knew it would happen.

"His wife was the trigger..." Reid paused, "But I was what started the guilt in the first place." Hotchner didn't interrupt as Reid took a deep breath. "If I tell you the story, you have to promise not to put it in the profile."

"Reid, we might need to." Hotchner was wrong. They didn't need to.

"Hotch I never reported this, it would have lost it's relevance over time, it happened when I was twelve. You can only edit your profile, and use what Josh had said but Hotch- this conversation is off the record."

Hotch seemed unsure, but after a few seconds of consideration he agreed. Reid immediately went into the story from the beginning, his details were impeccable and the words used by each of the students who hurt him came back like it had just happened yesterday. Reid supposed there was the downside to an eidetic memory, remembering everything isn't always a good thing. This is because every word is as strong as a fresh wound, and every injury is as strong as a shot of liquor. Spencer didn't let himself get emotional though, he didn't let himself revert to a twelve-year-old state of mind as he told the story. He carefully thought of every word, and edited out the parts where he read people's minds or detected their emotions. He cut out the story of his power while he spoke to Hotch, and replaced it with the facts rather then what he was feeling at the time.

"That was the last time I saw any of them." Reid ended the story, "After graduation I never went back to the school, and I never let myself think of them again." Sometime over the course of the story he had sat down at a desk, and he now had his elbows leaning on the table with his hands massaging his temples. "Until now, of course."

Hotchner's sympathy was thickly covered by a layer of seriousness. "I won't put your name in the profile when I finalize it for Strauss. What I will do is mention an anonymous source with information that only could have been known by personal experience. Do you approve of this?"

Reid nodded. He didn't mind, as long as his name wasn't involved.

Hotch acknowledged Reid, "I need to tell the team the story, even if I don't say your name it's obvious it came from you. I won't mention the entire interview in the finalized case file, I'll just put the confession... But the rest of the team knows how it played out. I'll tell them... but it's best if they hear it from you."

Spencer wouldn't do it. "Tell them in the most factual way possible."

Hotchner was disappointed, Reid could feel it, but Reid knew he couldn't tell the story with a straight face. One time was enough.

Reid stayed in the room as he saw Hotch walk towards the door, but before Hotch left he stopped in the doorway and said something, "I know something else is going on. Tell me on your own time." Then Hotch let the door close behind him and Reid was left in silence.

That's when he nearly broke, all the pent up emotions he'd been hiding in himself... covering up with other's feelings and state of mind- now, in this empty room- he was just left to himself. All the pain and hurt he felt, how much of a _freak_ he was. He could never tell them, he came close while talking to Hotch- very close to explaining his affliction and how much it made him feel more and more like an outsider-

Contrary to popular belief, Reid was not an introvert. Nor was an extrovert. He was an ambivert and that meant he needed both silence, and people to survive. Sometimes Spencer liked to dilute himself with the idea that he could be alone, without friends or family... but he was very wrong. Without his team, without his friends... He would fall into a dull, mindless, grey fluid. He would go back to Dilaudid to drown out the feelings, he would sleep all day to drown out the feelings, he would snap at people to drown out the feelings... he would- he can't live without his family. He would die. Spencer didn't like being alone.

Then Reid took a deep breath and decided that he couldn't tell the team what was happening. They wouldn't accept the powers, and everybody would suspect he had schizophrenia- even if he could prove it... Would they trust him? Would they want to be around him? Reid knows that if they're was somebody like him out there, somebody who could tell everybody's feelings at every moment... Would he really want to be in the room with him? The answer would be no, he'd act like he was fine with it- but slowly everybody would leave the man with the affliction. Everybody would resent the man with the affliction. Everybody would be afraid of the man with the affliction. Everybody would hate the man with the affliction.

Everybody would _hate_ Spencer Reid.

Finally he decided to stand up and leave the office. He walked towards the door and opened it slowly, enough so that nobody heard him leave the room and he realized how loud it really was outside. The police in the station chatted loudly about the capture of the killer and they all seemed happy, oblivious to the recent crisis. He could see Hotchner in a separate conference room as he told Reid's story to the rest of the team. Everybody's reactions were contained, if Reid wasn't so well-versed in human behavior- he would have guessed that the team was calm, collected, and fine with Reid's dishonesty... But he wasn't like that, and he could see all the small movements and tells that let him know no-one was calm. Prentiss was uncomfortable and passionate, Rossi was concerned and understanding, Morgan was _furious_\- and Hotchner was disappointed.

Reid knew most of the negative feelings were directed towards the events of his trauma- but he also knew that part of Prentiss's uncomfortableness was because of the lies he told. Part of Rossi's understanding was a sliver of distaste. Part of Morgan's anger was pent up towards him...Hotchner's disappointment was contained, but it was all for Reid.

Spencer stopped looking at them and went slowly and discreetly toward the restroom. He felt physically sick. A slow aching sensation in his stomach rose over to his chest and rested tightly, making him catch his breath and push the door to the bathroom over like he had tripped inside. He stumbled over to sinks and let his arms lean on the marble. The washroom was empty. He looked up at the mirror and found his face covered in sweat.

His breath slowly got faster and faster, soon enough he was hyperventilating. The beads of sweat blurred his vision and soon his figure in the mirror had slipped out of view- where had it gone? Had he?

He had fallen on the floor and his body had gotten rigid, pain pierced through head. Then he began to shake violently on the floor and it was reminiscent of the seizure he had while in the- was that burning fish he smelt? He heard voices around him, all of it sounded like a bad tape recording- muffled and hard to hear- figures danced around him and he suddenly left his body and- and-

* * *

Reid stood in a home. He wasn't himself, he felt- smaller. Shorter. The world was lower as he looked at- Josh and Felicity? It was almost like a memory, it _was_ a memory. And he felt _angry_. Why wasn't Josh telling Felicity was she had done wrong?

He walked aggressively toward the table and slammed his gloved hands down. He looked at Josh and let his thoughts engulf his.

"Tell her what she's done wrong, Mr. _Hudson_." His voice was... different. Stronger... and- he didn't let himself dwell on the thought. His frustration was too intense. "Do it Josh." He said roughly.

That's when Josh had begun talking, "You've been bad." He said in a mute voice, "You hurt people and make them cry. You make fun of them. You don't let them defend themselves, and you don't tell you're other friends what you've done wrong. Like me and my wife, you _hurt_ people."

"What do you think _Felicity_?" Reid asked. Felicity's name was like acid off his tongue, full of intense hatred. He was keeping Felicity calm until then, he snapped his fingers and suddenly Felicity's calm demeanor had changed.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried, "How are you doing this?" Reid was keeping her still, but he let her own feelings engulf her. He could feel her fear and confusion and he felt good. Powerful.

"Don't question me. Address Mr. Hudson." He said with influence.

That's when her face snapped towards Josh and tears streamed down her face as she spoke, "I'm sorry, it made me- it made me feel better, it made me feel strong and I- I won't do it again- just let me go- stop what- whatever you're doing." Her voice broke, "**_Please._**"

Reid laughed, it was high-pitched and manic, "Let you **_go_**? Wow! That's _fucking_ **_HILARIOUS_**!" He turned toward Josh, "Isn't it Mr. Hudson?"

"Hilarious." He said in a monotonous voice.

Then Reid felt something. Somebody was coming toward the house. It was- Agents Rossi and Prentiss. "_Fuck_." He said silently to himself. Then he silenced Felicity and Josh. "Wipe your tears Felicity." She did it immediately and he was pleased. "Mr. Hudson and Felicity. I want you both to stay silent." He said authoritatively, "Stay silent, don't speak, and don't tell anyone _anything_." Reid let himself dig into their personalities, and he dug himself further and further into their psych- he emptied Felicity as best as he could and did the same to Josh. The wouldn't say a thing.

As he left the home they sat calmly at the table, silent, in peace.

His work was done.

* * *

When Reid woke up he felt out of it. He opened his eyes slowly and looked around the room. He was in a hospital bed, it was dark, and when he let his eyes overview the room they fell over Garcia. Who was in a corner-chair with a computer on her lap, her fingers passed over the keys quickly and she occasionally muttered something to himself.

"Did you fly to Arizona?" He asked weakly.

Garcia squeaked and nearly dropped her computer as she jumped in her chair, "Oh my god you're awake!" She said excitedly. She grabbed her computer and stood up, then set it down in the chair as she walked over to him. "Do you know what happened?" She asked lightly.

"I don't-" He shook his head. False memories of Josh and Felicity were there... but nothing else... had he? He passed out? "What happened?" He asked. "Are we still in Arizona? Where's the rest of the team?"

"We're back home." She answered softly. "I assume the rest of the team is home sleeping, or worrying about you. I managed to convince the nurses I was a relative, so I got to stay." She smiled, "Now on to what happened... Do you remember anything?"

He didn't think so, "No..." But he could feel pain, "But my head hurts." Then he had a thought, "Did we finish the case?" He told Hotch about his story... How long has it been? Were they done?

"Don't worry." She said comfortingly, "The case is finished, Hotchner filed the case, and Josh Hudson has been charged." She had a look on a her face, which meant she probably knew his story. But she didn't comment. "There's a reason for your head hurting, though." She explained, "Apparently in the station, a few officers found you in the bathroom having a seizure." She was emotional, "They said your head was repeatedly banging against the floor, and your nose was bleeding- then they found the rest of the team-" Garcia gasped, "Reid it lasted over ten minutes... By the time the ambulance came they had to give you diazepam to stop it. You were treated in the hospital there for the rest of the day..." She laughed, "The team kept asking if you could come back home so they could treat you and figure out what happened." Garcia took a breath from the long sentence, "You had a concussion, and you were sleeping so they recommended that you don't fly- but everybody insisted, so after a scan showing it was too terrible you went on the jet."

"Apparently during the whole flight you were having what seemed like nightmares. You woke up a few times and muttered to people about the case..." She continued in concern, "You were screaming occasionally and shaking, you nearly gave the team heart-attacks thinking you were going to have another seizure." She took another breath, "Then you were immediately brought to the hospital here. I refused to leave your side. You've been sleeping all day except for the occasionally muttering, the rest of the team have been in and out." She looked at Reid in silence, "Do you remembering any of it?"

"I don't Garcia. I don't remember anything, I just remember-" What did he remember? He remembered... "I talked to Hotchner about something involving the case. And I-" He went... "I went to the bathroom and I felt sick, and then I- I started having a panic attack and then I- I think I hallucinated a few things, but that might have been a dream." Reid shook his head again, but then stopped when a streak of pain went through him. "Oh god."

"Oh!" Garcia jumped up, "Oh! I need to get the nurse!" She began clicking Reid's caller rapidly, "They told me to tell them if you woke up."

Soon enough somebody came into the room, a short, busty, Latina woman with long curly hair came in with a chart. "Dr. Reid, you're awake." She looked over the chart in her hands. She was wearing medical scrubs and had different medical items in her pocket. "I'm the anesthesiologist that's been monitoring you." Reid couldn't help but think she looked young for a medical doctor... yet again _he_ was young for _three_ doctorates. And why an anesthesiologist? Didn't they administer medicine? Was he drugged?

"Hi Dr. Moreno." Garcia went over to her worriedly, "How is he? Did anything come in?" Garcia towered over the short woman.

"Nothing new, so far." Dr. Moreno smiled and walked over to Reid, "How have you been doing?"

Reid saw her take out a penlight as he answered, "I've been better." He said truthfully, "I have a bad headache."

"Well I'm going to put some light in your eyes and ask you to follow my finger." She looked concerned, "It might hurt a little." She was right. When she put the light in his eyes it hurt like hell but he did as she said. "You seem pretty good for now. Just a minor concussion. The seizure you had was probably caused by stress...you can go home soon."

"Why am I being monitored by an anesthesiologist?" he said suddenly. "Did you give me medication?"

Dr. Moreno seemed understanding, "Don't worry, I only administered some light medicine to help with the pain. I've read your medical chart, and your friends informed me multiple times." She gave an amused look to Garcia, "Your general doctor was worried about the possibility of surgery because of your head injury so I was sent to monitor your condition. You won't be needing it though."

"Thank you, Dr. Moreno." Reid smiled, she seemed like a genuinely nice, caring doctor. He could tell that even though she was tired, she seemed helpful. It looked like she was about to leave before he stopped her, "Can I ask you a question?" He said politely.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"When did you complete medical school?" He wanted to know. She looked so young.

"When I was 20, I've been practicing for 4 years. Don't worry, I know how to do my job." He could feel irritation radiating off her, she obviously got this question a lot. It reminded him of himself.

"Sorry. I actually have three doctorates, I know what it's like." He looked at her in sympathy. She nodded with a smile and then left.

Garcia looked at him in amusement.

"What?" He asked.

"You have a cruuussshhhhh." She said in a sing-song voice.

"No I don't!" He didn't! He was just impressed.

"Yes you _doooo_!" She continued while she giggled.

"That's not true. She's too young for me, anyway." A blush went up his cheeks, and he felt embarrassed.

Garcia gave an amused look, but gave up anyway. "I guess I'll call the team and tell them you're awake."

"Isn't it too late?" He asked.

"Well it's actually pretty early. Around six-thirty, the sun should be coming up right now." She took out her phone and began to walk out of the room, "I'll get you some breakfast, we'll get the team here... And then you are leaving!" Reid watched her walk down the hallway of the hospital and smiled. He was happy that even after learning what happened to him, she seemed perfectly fine. Just concerned about his condition.

When she left it gave Reid time to clear the events in his head. He remembered being stressed about what the team would think once Hotch told them the story... and he went to the bathroom to calm down. That's when he began having a panic attack, which probably evolved into a seizure... And then it went blank. He thought about his dream, and how he had talked to Felicity and Josh... The terrible things he said... Did he do that? It felt like a memory and he couldn't help but wonder if it was true... Josh did say he was being controlled by something... But then logic overtook him, and he realized when Rossi and Prentiss when to get Josh and Felicity he was with Morgan. There was no way he could have been there.

Then why did he have that dream?

It reminded him of the one he had, where he was running, running, and he heard- someone's voice- Josh's voice tell him he had beautiful blond hair. Or when he felt fear and had a vision of desert... Was that in Arizona? Was he having visions of the crimes and feeling what they were feeling?

Nothing like this had ever happened to him before, he has his powers and he feels things from other people- but visions? He's never had visions. But as he thought about it more and more it made sense... He was looking through the eyes of the killer when he was talking to Josh and Felicity... That must be why it felt different. Somebody else influenced Josh to do the killings... Does this mean Josh was innocent? Or just not as guilty as he appeared?

This also means there's someone out there... someone with the same abilities as him...

And they're using it for murder.

* * *

_Yay I finished this on time. I'm not sure how this chapter turned out, the seizure was kind of abrupt, but it felt right at the time. Also **muuuurrrdderrr emmmppaaattthhh**._

**_Oooooooohhhhh._**

_Review!_

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_

**EDIT**: So apparently my autocorrect is fucked up and it change 'your' to 'you're' several times. I always edit my work, but I apparently didn't read into it good enough this time. I fixed it the second time around- I am so, _so_, sorry and I _promise_ it won't happen again!


	7. Bloody Lilies

_This is going to be a kind of relaxed chapter, after all the action in the last one- we need time to calm down and decompress. People are excited for the team to find out about Reid's powers...and don't get me wrong I most definitely am too! But I need to slowly work up to it and the BOOM, you know? _

_I understand this extremely late (and a bit of a shorter chapter then usual), but you're lucky! I'm going to release chapters much quicker than normal!_

_Enjoy the read. _

* * *

**Bloody Lilies**

* * *

There is a sweeping misconception amongst those who read Arthur Conan Doyle Novels: Sherlock Holmes does not use deduction to solve his cases. It's a constant manifestation of reaffirmation- when people learn over and over again that Sherlock's means of detection is by 'The Science of Deduction' they're keen to believe it. Reid however, isn't one to believe. The Great Sherlock Holmes uses induction, and solves his cases by moving from simple facts to far-reaching generalities.

Deduction moves from generalities inward making smaller points along the way. The answer is never false. For example: All men are mortal. Reid is a man. Reid is mortal.

Induction moves from smaller points to generalities. This allows the answer to be false. For example: Reid has supernatural powers. Reid is a man. All men have supernatural powers.

It's difficult to procure information _purely_ from deductive reasoning. A certain amount of finesse is needed to pull off it off in an accurate, reliable way... When Reid rants about factual information and moves out to specifics, he tries his best to rely on deduction. This is because Reid does _not_ like to be wrong.

Though from experience, Reid has found that in order to go any further in a detailed assessment, induction is vital. This frustrates Reid, and allows for his points to be wrong. Spencer had assumed that there was another person out there killing people with powers- he had _wanted_ to assume this, because he'd like to believe he wasn't a murderer. He would never let innocent girls die... this means there is bias in his assumption.

It leaves an intrinsic basis for doubt. Which is currently eating at Reid, as he takes another pained bite from his breakfast.

"You okay there, pretty boy?" Morgan furrowed his brow at Reid in amusement, "Has that waffle done you personal wrong?"

Reid looked up, "What? No. It's just..." He poked the gelatinous goo it with his utensil. "Mushy."

"Yeah, I went to the wrong waffle house." Prentiss looked down at her own food in bitter disappointment. "Sorry, Garcia."

"I told you to take a right on 44th avenue."

"_I couldn't turn right on 44th avenue_."

Rossi sighed and crossed his arms, "Well I think we can all agree to eat a better lunch. I know a good Thai place near here."

Hotchner raised an eyebrow and nodded in approval.

Reid just felt especially cramped in a small hospital room with five people in various seating arrangements.

"So do you know when you're being released?" Garcia asked in a hopeful voice. "Did you get anymore information from that perfectly-perfect-of-a-woman-for-you doctor?"

Morgan suddenly leaned in with interest, "Perfectly-perfect-of-a-woman-for-Reid?" He had a shit-eating grin on his face and shared a look with Garcia. Prentiss and Rossi played along as well, while Hotchner sat silently in thought.

Reid ignored the comments. He supposed one reason they were so intent on embarrassing him was because of the increasing uncomfortable nature that began to surround Reid. Now that they knew he was violently assaulted by their most recent unsub as a child, and is harboring a number of secrets- the best they can do is hope to ignore it, and let jokes and teases slowly ease away the pain like an icepack. "Dr. Moreno told me she's preparing the documents so I can leave, it should be any minute now." He picked at his nails, and found that they were rather short. He hadn't noticed the new habit.

"So this...Dr. Moreno... what makes her perfect for Reid?" Prentiss smirked, obviously playing in the affair.

"You're in luck, my friend!" Garcia said with a bright smile. She sat down a half-eaten waffle and replaced it with her computer, she comfortably sat in it her lap and began to type. "I've already done some research on the girl."

"Garcia." Hotch warned.

"Oh don't worry!" She said quickly, "This is all completely public information, and I didn't use any of our special databases." Reid groaned as she began to speak. "Doctor Martha Moreno, she's a few years younger then Reid-"

"-And she's a medical doctor?" Rossi questioned.

"Yes she is! And a specialized one at that!" Garcia began in an ecstatic voice, "She's an anesthesiologist, a very good one apparently. In the four years she's been working officially in her own practice she's already done multiple studies on different anesthetics and which work best...her death rate is extremely low, only two of her patients have died and that's because they were practically dead on arrival." Garcia's eyes flashed over the computer, "Oh! And she went to Caltech like you Reid...after graduating high school at thirteen- she's definitely smart. And I was talking to her before Reid woke up and she's very nice...Short, heavy-set like me, not ugly- and I have a feeling she likes Reid."

"Not every woman who looks at me for half-a-second has romantic interest in me, Garcia." Reid disagreed. "I'm not exactly the kind of person people like to date."

"Whatever you say, Reid." Morgan commented with a half-smile. "All I know is that Garcia tends to have an intuition when it comes to these things."

"I say go for it, kid." Rossi laughed. "Even if she does sound a little too good to be true, remember, everyone has their flaws."

Reid's cheeks became an amusing red hue and that's when everyone began to burst into giggles and laughter, even Hotchner had a smile on. Reid was satisfied, even if everyone is intent on ignoring problems, he was happy with it. He almost let himself forget about the murderer out there- the one who controlled Josh and killed three girls- he almost let himself be happy. While everyone laughed the thought dawned on him, and his blush went away, a deep pit arose in his stomach. The giggling slowly began to fade in the room.

Then Dr. Moreno walked in. Rossi, Prentiss, Garcia, and Morgan looked at her- and all were holding themselves at bay, hoping they wouldn't burst into helpless laughter.

"This is definitely one of the more peppy rooms I've been in today." Moreno's brown eyes scanned the room, "And I could've sworn this many visitors weren't allowed..." She shrugged and walked through the small room toward Reid's hospital bed. Carefully she avoided the people scattered about the room, and handed Reid a clipboard and a pen. "Go ahead and sign this, then you'll be ready to leave." She gave a tight-lipped smile. Reid could sense she was ready to leave the room, probably uncomfortable with the silent, but obvious attention.

"Thanks." He took the pen and scrawled a sloppy signature then handed it back to her.

"I'll get a nurse to help you out." Then she began her journey through the small room again, and along the way Garcia stood up and held a small paper out to her.

"Call us if there's any new information." Garcia said suddenly.

Dr. Moreno gave an odd look, but took the paper and nodded, "I suppose." Then she left the room.

Everyone released the breath they were holding and Morgan puffed out a choked laugh.

"Garcia is _intent_ on setting you up with someone, Reid."

Reid was intent on ignoring them.

Soon enough a nurse walked into the room, and told Reid to get in a wheelchair. He had refused, but everyone had insisted. He supposed it was something that often happened in a hospital...he had no real idea why, however. After a short overview, he figured it was because of lawsuits, 'They didn't offer me a wheelchair!' and suddenly the hospital is three-million dollars in debt.

Everyone else had said their goodbyes, and Prentiss had agreed to drive Reid to his apartment building. He sat in silence, occasionally picking at his nails.

"That's a bad habit, you know." Prentiss said as she gripped tightly on the wheel of the car. Reid took a fleeting glance at her own bitten nails. "Hard to break once you've started."

"Well I've started." It was a repressed statement. Something that held a lot of meaning, but said he didn't want to talk anymore about it._ I've started going crazy_. Reid thought to himself. _There's an unsub on the loose and you're having casual conversations, flirting with doctors, and biting you're nails. _His mom used to pick frequently at her nails when she was in a particularly bad phase of her illness, he wondered if this was the beginning.

"Hey, Reid?" Prentiss glanced over at him for a second before focusing on the road.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"You know nobody holds it against you, right?" Prentiss said forcefully. Then she explained herself, "Nobody cares that you didn't tell us what happened to you-"

"-Prentiss."

"No, really. Reid, we're family. Nobody holds it against you, and we want to help." She paused to think, and tapped a few times on leather wheel. "If anything's wrong we're always here to help. We'll listen. You don't need to hold all these secrets so close to your chest..."

"I know, Prentiss."

"...And I don't really think you should try a relationship, right now." She offered.

Reid laughed, "I wasn't planning on it." Dr. Moreno was a short distraction that offered comfort, it wasn't something he would actively pursue. He'd read enough research that disagreed with the prospect, "Starting relationships as a distraction has proven unhealthy and unneeded. Multiple surveys, and research show that when you have problems of your own- beginning a new relationship most often ends in break-up and ending up even worse then when you started."

"So you admit you have problems?" She raised in eyebrow.

"Everyone has problems, Prentiss."

"So nobody should be in relationships, then?"

"That not what I-" He stopped and conceded. "Fine. Yes, I have problems that exceed the normal limit." Far above the normal limit, in fact so far, it's gone into the supernatural realm.

Prentiss seemed proud of herself, and Reid tried his best to ignore the feelings exuding off of her.

As he sat in the car all he could think about was how much he felt like he needed to do something. There was something inherently wrong with what he was doing right now. He supposed the best he could do at the moment was analyze the situation before him and determine the best course of action. Currently there were two questions he needed to answer:

Who else out there was an empath?  
Why are they hurting others?

They were questions he never thought he'd need to be answering. He'd thought about whether or not there were others out there like him before…when he had first garnered his ability there was a strong need to have someone who understood him. He'd spent hours in public places trying to detect whether or not there was someone like there who knew who he was- he'd project as much emotion as he could, hoping that someone would turn their head and notice, but there was nobody. So he'd simply come to the conclusion he was an anomaly. Something that occurs in nature and never happens again. Something different. Something freakish.

Now that he believed there was somebody out there like him…somebody out there who truly understood what it was like to have this gift and how hard it was to deal with on a daily basis and-

And they're a killer. A cold-blooded murderer who kills teenagers and hacks their head off. Who manipulates and controls people. Why did they have to be like that? Would Reid ever be so corrupted the point where he would be killing others?

He'd like to think not. But when analyzing the multiple reasons people become killers, and how unique this person's abilities were like him- Were they killing people because of the power? Or were they connected to Josh in some way?

If they were connected to Josh...and Samantha- then there's a very high possibility that they knew Connor and David as well. Did they know Spencer?

There's a high chance they do…and if they did why haven't they contacted him? What motive to they have to kill young girls?

So many more questions arose from his analysis, it was as if he should have never started at all.

A phone ringing quickly halted his thought processes.

Prentiss immediately turned toward him with a confused look, "Is that yours?"

Spencer nodded and reached in his pocket. He took out his phone looked at an the caller ID and instantly recognized the '602' as an Arizona area code.

"Who is it?" Prentiss asked. Reid could sense the confusion and curiousness that radiated off of her, it was typical because nobody called Reid except for his mother and the team.

Reid just gave a fleeting glance and answered the phone, "Hello?"

_"H-hello uh- uh- Dr. Reid?"_

Reid felt uncomfortable. Although he'd been used to speaking on the phone with his team, talking with a stranger was always something unprecedented. He couldn't detect any sort of emotions through technology. He'd recognized the voice from the school- a young girl...who...

"Tiffany?" His voice was soft and patient. Tiffany was the girl he had met at the high school, the one who was sexually assaulted. In the pause after he said her name Prentiss had glanced at him from the road and mouthed 'Tiffany?'. He brushed her off as he heard the girl speak.

_"I- uh- I wanted to tell you something." _A pause._ "You said that if anyone ever hurt me...I should tell you. That if I was in trouble or I thought I was in trouble I should tell somebody."_

"Yes?" He didn't infer to her problems, and he didn't really know what she was feeling, but he knew that she needed someone to talk to.

_"I was-"_ Her voice cracked. _"I was raped a couple of months ago...by one of my mom's ex-boyfriends- he's in a different state now. He can't hurt me anymore but I- I don't want to charge him and I just need someone to talk to."_

"You should tell your mom. I know some good therapi-"

_"I don't want to talk to a therapist! I want to talk to you!" _There was sharp inhale and then a slow exhale._ "You don't have to- but- but you knew something was wrong with me at the school. You understood me...and I need someone to talk to."_

"I'm not sure if it's best for me to be that person." Reid tried to focus on Tiffany, and nearly managed to avoid the random feelings that erupted from Prentiss. A lot of it was confusion and a sharp hint of curiousness. "I have a lot of problems of my own, and I have a very busy work schedule-"

_"All I need is an hour a day. Just one hour...you don't even need to talk back to me- I just need to get it out."_

"Tiffany-"

_"Please."_

"Okay."

_"I need to go now."_ Tiffany sounded happier, and a deep sigh let Reid know she was relieved. _"Thank you." _

The line cut off and Reid shoved his phone back into his pocket. Before Prentiss spoke he interrupted her, "She's a high school student me and Morgan interviewed. I could tell something happened to her and I told her to call me if she needed anything."

"That's a sweet thing to do." Prentiss conceded. "If fairly unlike you..."

"She needed help."

"Are you going to be talking to her?" Prentiss's mind was at work, fussing away at Reid's conversation and making inferences.

"She wants to."

"It's free therapy...even if a little unconventional it might help her." _And help you._ The thought was unsaid but Reid heard it anyway.

"I suppose." Reid's eye caught the incoming apartment building. Finally. He felt relieved to finally get out of the car with Prentiss. "There's my building."

"Do you want me to walk you in?"

"No- no I'm fine." He made a tight-lipped smile and quickly got out of the car. Leaving Prentiss to sit on her own he made a deep sigh of relief and swiftly made his way up to his apartment. Maybe he would make himself some Mac and Cheese. He opened the door to his apartment. Mac and Cheese sounded good right now- even if it was a little early for it...the waffle wasn't all that good and he was hungr-

His eye caught his dining room table.

Sitting lightly in the middle was a lily. A red one. He made his way up to it slowly and brought his hand out towards it. He could sense energy radiating off the flower...like a message. His hand came out to pick it up.

A foreign message invaded him.**_ You're just like me. _**Then an overwhelming smell of blood.

He dropped the red lily and coughed violently, rubbing his nose clear of the awful smell.

As he gazed at the fallen flower he realized-

This was only the beginning of the game.

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_Ta-da! Do not worry my friends...I'll actually be releasing chapters in a timely manner now. You won't need to wait months for it._

_-Moriarty-Mastermind_


	8. They Make the Feeling Go Away

_Did I say I'd be releasing chapters earlier? Yes I did, and I'm not late- but I am really really really sick. So I hope there's no mistakes this chapter, and my editing skills aren't impeded by my migraine._

_Thanks to the reviews last chapter by the way... I love reading them and they give me so much motivation._

_Also ,the very beginning of this chapter has absolutely no dialogue, and deals a lot with Spencer's thought process- but it does give you some vital information. This theme is apparent through a lot of this chapter... and I think it gives some pretty interesting insight into what Reid is really feeling._

* * *

**They Make the Feelings Go Away**

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The lily was a surprise...a definite surprise. Based on the already extremely small profile Reid had gathered on the other empath- he had absolutely assumed that they would stay in the shadows. The use of Josh to do their dirty work was a petty move, and it was something that drew attention away from themselves. Why were they suddenly changing now? It was almost as if they wanted to scare Reid...let him know. This was obviously some kind of message to let him know that they weren't a coward...that they were perfectly fine being open.

He had been sitting on the ground for a while now. He looked at the lily silently and couldn't bring himself to pick it up- What should he do? Although this was a message...and obviously one meant to let him know that there is someone else out there like him- the sent of blood that came with it only came off as threatening. In fact, he didn't even know smells could be communicated through empathy.

Should he tell the team about the lily? Would they feel the message too? What would they tell him?

It wasn't as if this was an actual threat, finding a red lily in your apartment isn't necessarily something most people would be wary of. Even if he did tell the team- what could they do about it? There wasn't any actual precedent for them to do anything...and it would only make them more suspicious of him than they already were. Their concern would only be distracting, and they'd continued to treat him like a child- as if he wasn't already an adult.

Reid sighed and put his head in his hands. His elbows rested on his knees, his legs crossed. He let his eyes wander up back to the red lily and he came to a conclusion. The only lead he had at the moment was this message. He couldn't be afraid of it, he had to take advantage of it. So he put his hand back out and slowly let himself grasp the flower.

An influx red covered his vision and the scent of blood was nearly unbearable- but he managed to stay focus, and did his best to replace the scent with vanilla. He focused on the message**_ You're just like me _**and tried his best to discern any identifiable traits that could lead him to who sent the message was. However, the way the message was sent the further he tried to investigate it only ended up sounding more and more like his own voice. Whoever had imprinted this was definitely powerful.

Reid couldn't help but think that if he had used his power his entire life, if he had practiced and used it to his advantage- would he be able to so heavily imprint messages like this? The energy it took to make this influence was remarkably high. The energy he took to influence others was only a fraction of what had been for a seemingly simple message like this.

He was thinking to much, too much into the situation- the whole point of him looking into the message wasn't meant to delve into his own psych and power- it was meant to give him as much information possible on the other empath at hand. As he delved further and further and further he suddenly felt a niggling at the back of his neck. Something new- he immediately grasped for it and pulled it forward to the front of his mind. What information did it have to offer him?

_Stubborn. Impatient. Impulsive. Organized. Jealous. Obsessive. Hopeful. Manipulative. Brilliant. **Hateful**._

Spencer gasped for breath and suddenly the scent of blood came back, only now it was taste as well. Clogging the back of his throat he felt as if he couldn't breathe. Intense hatred overwhelmed him and unrelenting disgust overtook his thoughts. That's when he dropped the lily again- and suddenly he was back to his own thoughts. He took a few deep breaths and let himself process what he had just discovered.

They were personality traits...each and every one of the emotions and feelings and motivations he felt- it was as if he was in the mind set of the killer. He felt like he had become them. What would lead someone to feel like that? To have so much hatred?

He didn't like to think about it, but now he felt like he knew the other empath. And he knew exactly what to look for...

Suddenly his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID, Rossi was calling him. For lunch? Isn't it still a bit early for that? He looked at the time on the phone and realized it was already the afternoon- how long had it taken him to get the information he needed? That couldn't have been more then a few minutes...

He decided not to answer and just waited until it stopped ringing. The moment he didn't pick it up it just began to ring again and he sighed and began to wait. Then he could feel a presence move outside his apartment.

Then there was a knock on his door.

"I can hear your phone ringing, kid! Don't think you'll be able to avoid me!" Rossi knocked again. "Thai food!"

Spencer for a moment considered just being quiet and waiting until Rossi left, but it seemed like Rossi's determination levels were off the charts and he wouldn't be leaving for a while. "I don't want to co-" his voice broke off, and he realized how dry his throat was.

"Reid?" He heard Rossi's concern from behind the door.

Reid swallowed a few times before speaking, "I'm not hungry!"

"Just come with us then!" Rossi was beginning to get exasperated.

Reid sighed and decided he might as well, being around the team could be a comfort...and maybe he'll come to a conclusion, and decide whether or not he was going to mention the lily. "Okay, I'm coming!" He tried to stand up from the ground but his legs were weak. Spencer hadn't considered the detriments of using so much power in one time- apparently he was out of practice. He brought his hand to up to his face and felt something wet, he saw his hand and realized he had gotten a nosebleed.

He groaned and pushed himself up slowly. He gripped his dining room chair and only managed to knock it down. His legs felt like jelly and he eventually was able to stand, then he walked up to his apartment door. He opened it and saw Rossi's face change completely.

"Woah." Rossi looked at Reid up and down. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well..." Rossi said slowly. "You don't exactly look like you're ready for prom night." He began to put his hand out to touch Reid, but Spencer jumped back quickly.

"Well then, thank_ God_ I'm not going to prom!" Reid snapped. He took another deep breath and sighed, "Sorry, I'm just tired." It was obvious that the emotions he felt from the message had subsequently brushed off on him.

"Well just- you don't- why don't you just wash your face. I'll wait."

Reid smiled and began to walk back into his apartment, he frowned when he saw the red lily on the floor...his dining room chair was flipped over and sweat stains adorned the carpet. Had it really been that bad? Of course he'd used a lot of power- but enough to lose time? Become so weak he could hardly stand? Not to mention, the emotions he felt from Rossi only gave him a headache. Rossi came up to the dining room chair and set it back up, then he sat down.

Reid went to his bathroom, when he got a look at his face he realized how bad he looked. It was like he had just been in a train-wreck. His eyes were red, and it almost looked like he'd been crying. There were flecks of blood near his nose. He was covered in sweat. His arms were shaking and his legs followed suit. "I'm going to change my shirt too, Rossi. Is that fine?"

"I can wait." Reid heard Rossi from the other room.

It didn't take very long for Reid to wash his face and put on a new shirt...by the time he was done he didn't look much better. Although the sweat seemed to have dried, and the flecks of blood on his face were washed off. By the time he walked back out Rossi was lightly tapping his foot, and drumming his fingers on his thigh, "You ready?"

"Yeah." Reid's voice was still dry. This only made Rossi's concern rise and made Reid's headache worsen.

"You have to tell me what happened." Rossi casually said as he walked out of Reid's apartment. "I highly doubt it's because you're tired."

"You always doubt me." Reid shot back.

Rossi paused in the hallway, "Reid I don't know what's wrong with you, but keep in mind we all care about you." He began to walk again.

"I n-" Reid stopped himself. _I need to talk to you about something. _"Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about, I'm fine when you speak your mind." Rossi glanced at Reid. "By the way, what was up with the lone flower in your apartment."

Reid didn't know how to answer that. "It was just-" Reid didn't finish his statement and opted to stay quiet.

"Just what?"

"Just there."

"Reid?"

"What."

"You just came into your apartment and a fresh flower was just _there_."

Reid nodded.

Rossi stopped and turned towards Reid, "Did you ever consider that perhaps finding a red lily in your apartment- directly after a case that involved lilies, and even you...was a bit strange?"

"Of course I did, but it's not as if you could actually do anything under law and even if this was connected to our last case anyway, we arrested the person who killed the girls and there was no indication of a partner- I'm going to label it a coincidence and get over it." Reid took a deep breath, "You can tell the team anything you want, about my state of mind, the lily, anything...but there's nothing you can do. There's nothing I can do, and I'm actually really hungry for Thai food." Almost everything Reid said was true, so it made it easier for him to hide the lies, but he was sure that something gave way to his actual thoughts because Rossi wasn't buying it.

"You're right, but that doesn't mean that we still can't talk about the case...or even decide to re-open it. You can't avoid your problems and expect everything to be fine, this case obviously effected you and as a friend I'm telling you right now- if you keep going on like this I'm sure you'll only get worse." Rossi shook his head, "I won't say anything about the flower, but I swear to God Reid if anything else happens, even if insignificantly and slightly related to our last case- you _have_ to tell me. If not me then Hotch, or Morgan, or Prentiss, or even Garcia...keeping all this to yourself is unhealthy."

Reid nodded. "I will...can we just go eat now?"

"Sure, kid."

The rest of the walk out of the building was quiet, and so was the entire car ride. By the time they made it to the restaurant everyone was already there. Morgan had already ordered, but it seemed like the rest had opted to wait for them. Every greeting was laced with concern, and the words formed into pure emotions for Reid. He could feel and detect every small indication of _offness_. It was distracting, knowing what everyone was feeling- he'd been trying so hard to put up walls, but that only took more of his energy.

He'd been lacking a lot of energy lately...most likely as a symptom from his gift. He really wanted that to go away. In fact he wasn't even sure if this 'gift' was worth dealing with anymore, this is obviously what had led whoever killed those girls to kill those girls. Whoever the unsub is definitely knew that Reid suffered from the same afflictions...if he didn't have them would the other empath leave him alone? Would the other empath realize the complete uselessness of killing to make contact and stop?

It was definitely something Reid should consider. And if he considered this is it would lead him to the conclusion that if he _didn't_ have his powers he could save lives. And there was a way to stop it.

Dilaudid.

When Reid had been kidnapped by Tobias Hankel his powers were practically useless. All the seperate words and emotions out of Tobias were unreadable and his influence wouldn't have worked anyway because of the immense stress that Spencer had felt in the situation. His mind was on overdrive and the burden of his powers only heightened- but the moment Tobias gave him the drug-

That moment-

It _cured_ him.

He couldn't feel anything...he couldn't read other people and he didn't have to exhaust himself on putting up walls. It was an amazing stress reliever, and it let him have a wonderful release...but every single positive thing had a downside and the symptoms he faced from the drugs were too much. The rest of the team had obviously found out soon enough and he had made the decision that suffering from his powers was better than suffering from the dilaudid.

But now that his powers were affecting him more heavily. Now that they truly impeded his life, and his friends, and now that they were causing people to _die_. Would taking the dilaudid really be worse than saving people's lives? Just thinking about it made his hand twitch in anticipation. He was still an addict. He still had-

He couldn't do this. He would kill himself. He would lose his job but- what if it would make him better?

Who could tell him he was wrong? Who could tell him that keeping his sobriety was better then_ saving people's lives_?

He'd kept some in his apartment...a little untouched vial tucked away under his dress shirts. He'd even kept a few sharps available, they were clean. It would be so easy to just take out one, dip it into the vial and let that sweet, _sweet_ liquid invade his vei-

"You've hardly even touched your Pad Thai." Prentiss commented off handedly.

Reid was struck out of his thought process, and suddenly felt unbelievably guilty for even thinking about taking dilaudid...but now that the choice was on the table he was heavily considering it. "I'll probably box it to take it home." He took his fork and poked at it a few times, he'd considered trying chopsticks for half a second, but realized the shame wasn't worth it. "I overestimated my hunger."

"The mighty Reid overestimates something, the statistics aren't helping you now, huh, pretty boy?" Morgan laughed and the rest of the team either smiled or did the same. After a quick run-over Reid realized that Morgan was diffusing a situation and everyone else felt uncomfortable by Reid's silent presence. In the time it took for him to silently order and ponder over his lunch everyone else had ignored him, or he hadn't noticed any of them talking to him. Now that he thought about it, quietly staring at a plate of Pad Thai while pondering taking drugs probably looked...strange.

"I guess not." He finally managed to get out the answer. Thinking for so long and staring for so long and awkwardly poking at his lunch for so long- seemed to have majorly slowed down his common sense thought process- and now that his mind was focused on dilaudid the craving for it had been peaked.

Soon enough everyone had finished their food, he'd boxed his Pad Thai and awkward goodbyes were exchanged. Rossi had offered to take him home, but he had passed...feeling strangers' emotions on the subway was far better than dealing with a friend's emotions in an enclosed space.

By the time he got home his hands were shaking, and his breath was heavy. He immediately made his way into his apartment, and as his eyes flashed over the red lily that still sat on the floor his ambition only became stronger.

He made it to his room quickly and threw himself down to open his drawer, he rifled away under dress shirts and felt the smooth curve of a vial. He picked it out and grasped it tightly in his hands, it only took a few more looks around his shirts and soon he had a needle in his hands.

All doubt had left him as he plunged it into the vial and saw the clear liquid travel up the needle.

He let his hand stop shaking, and soon enough he had already injected himself with the drug.

Then everything slowly became dulled, and a wide smile erupted on Spencer's face.

* * *

_Oh noooooo. _

_As you can see Reid's thought process is extremely misguided. What do you think of the turn of events?_

_Review :)_

_-Moriarty-Mastermind_


	9. Mistakes and Misconceptions

_Sorry for the unusually long wait! I've had a bit of writer's block recently and along with the summer and many vacations and such getting in the way of my writing (I did a research project in Costa Rica! It was fun, but it took me out of a creative writing mood)_

_I can no longer promise when chapters will be coming out, but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. I have plenty of productive writing time available to me in between my university classes but keep in mind that my education comes first._

_Thank you._

* * *

**If any of you are interested in cheap writing lessons or need editing help (this includes essays, short stories, novels and writing of any kind) then please visit: **

** MastermindWriters at Tumblr**

**Or email: mastermindwriters123 at Gmail**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH.**

* * *

**Mistakes and Misconceptions**

* * *

Reid had been monitoring his dilaudid intake for a few days now. He's made sure to take just enough to slightly blur out the feelings, but not enough to give him the same high. He kept feeling the need to take more...but he knew if he went any further it would only make things worse. He laid out a brief schedule in his mind. In the morning, at eight, he would take about two to four milligrams orally, depending on how intense his powers were that day. He'd been putting some in his coffee...taking the dilaudid through a syringe was much more efficient, but it left track marks and he didn't want to develop anymore scars.

It would last about four hours, and at his lunch break he would up his dosage to about four to six milligrams for it to last the rest of the work day.

He hadn't been taking it at night. Tiffany called him at night, and there wasn't enough activity for there to be any point in him taking it.

His discussions with Tiffany had been surprisingly refreshing. She talked about her problems, and he'd occasional give advice. He even opened up a bit himself, describing his life in high school and his problems with bullies. It actually gave a fresher look for Tiffany, and she had stopped hanging with the wrong crowd and began being nice to her previous victims.

The BAU had consulted on few cases, none of them required them to take a flight- and the crimes were fairly vanilla compared to what they usually worked on. Reid was still able to participate in work, and his dilaudid intake wasn't high enough to give him the kind of side effects that he had experienced before.

Life felt surprisingly _okay_.

His hand shook as he brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a slow sip. Spencer made a slight face as the hot liquid entered his system, it was just a bit too hot. This was his first dose for the day and he'd already felt better as soon as he felt the coffee run down his throat. He knew it was the placebo effect, he wouldn't feel the actual effects for a bit but that didn't mean he wouldn't feel better. Of course he still felt his power, there was no way to fully get rid of it...not unless he upped his dosage- which he hadn't planned on doing.

The first day he took the dilaudid...right after lunch with the team...it hadn't exactly turned out well. He had given himself too much and had felt sick and nauseas just a few moments after the initial high. He supposed some part of his right mind had realized what happened because he immediately administered an opioid antagonist (Evzio*) to reverse the effects of the dilaudid. He always had an auto-injector on hand just in case something happened, and luckily it had worked. He had passed out soon after that and found himself already feeling the effects of withdrawal.

So he had made his plan, and so far it had been working out well. Though of course he'd kept the auto-injector with him in his pack recently...just in case it was needed. Sooner then he'd realized his coffee was drained and the feelings he once felt around him were blurred. He could detect simple emotions: happiness, sadness, anger. Though there was no personal touch to it, and he was happy with that.

"Hey kid, we have a case." Morgan waved his hand in front of Reid's face and smiled.

Spencer was interrupted from his gaze at the empty coffee mug, "It's been a while." He commented off-handedly while getting up from his desk.

"It has." Morgan walked along side Reid as they both made their way to the conference room, "Weirdo serial killers don't have too long of breaks though." He joked with Reid, "They have no respect for our schedules."

Reid nodded, and didn't respond- his focus was still a bit dulled from the dilaudid, but he knew it would wear off soon.

Soon enough every member of the team had sat down at the round table, Garcia handed off the tablets and his fresh out of the printed case file. He gave his thankful smile and Garcia gave her 'my pleasure' face. She then clicked on her remote and grisly images filled the screen.

"Police in San Francisco, California have contacted us regarding the murders of five women that have happened within the time span of two months." She clicked through the photos slowly. Reid noticed they all looked fairly different, and the kill methods didn't seem to align with each other. "Each of them were in their early twenties, and all of them are suspected to be prostitutes."

"Suspected? Are any of them confirmed." Rossi questioned Garcia.

"According to the police every one of the victim's friends were very hush-hush on the matter, apparently all of them were vetted in the 'I don't know anything' monologue." Garcia twirled the remote in her hand and sat down in a chair.

"All of them seem to be dressed fairly nicely in the photos." Prentiss commented, "They're not wearing cheap clothing, and since their friends aren't willing to talk we might not be dealing with the classic prostitutes. They're probably escorts."

Reid nodded, still focused on the kill method, "How did the police find connections between the victims? Prostitutes are killed everyday and often by different unsubs…not only is the kill method fairly different each time they don't seem to align with any visible similarities other than being prostitutes."

"Escorts." Morgan corrected, "How did they find the connection Garcia?"

"Now that's the golden ticket...apparently they got a package in the mail-" She clicked the remote again, "It was a binder full of information that described all the victims in detail, right down to their family history and secret tattoos." The photo on the screen was a small pink binder decorated with printed flowers. "The binder also included how they died, kill methods and all. A lot of information that wasn't released to the public."

"Why would the killer do that?" Morgan squinted at the brightly decorated binder, "And what's up with the bright pink?"

"Well the kill methods indicate a strong male." Hotch commented, "Maybe someone dealing with their sexuality? Pink and flowers... these are all feminine decorations. Unless we're dealing with a very strong female."

"That's not likely." Prentiss looked at the filed on her tablet, "Some of the women were sexually assaulted, and there was DNA."

"Why not sexually assault all of them?" Reid kept staring at the photo of the binder. His head began to hurt. "If we're working under the assumption that the unsub is struggling with his sexuality then you'd imagine he'd have to assert his dominance over everyone. And why send the binder? Why in such a feminine way? How did the unsub know so much about the women in the first place?" He placed a hand on his temple and rubbed aggressively, hoping to force the pain away. "None of this lines up properly."

"Well the unsub is certainly scattered." Rossi pitched in, "There's a lot of sporadic energy surrounding the killings, as if none of them were planned."

"There was DNA left at the crime scene." Morgan added, "That's not organized."

"But there were no fingerprints and no witnesses..." Prentiss furrowed her eyebrows. "So the unsub isn't completely incompetent."

"We'll discuss more on the plane." Hotch interrupted. "Wheels up in thirty."

Everyone gathered their things and began to leave the room. Reid had read over the case three times now, and had read the contents of the pink binder included in the case brief. He couldn't pinpoint the exact nature of the writing style. It was a strange mixture of three separate voices: One was feigning egotism and felt fake. The next was angry and insecure.

The last was a false kindness- there were separate paragraphs written in this voice and each of them acknowledges the victims as real people, but describes them in slight distaste, reminiscent of a parent not approving of their children's friends.

Like Rossi mentioned it was scattered, and Reid couldn't tell whether it was because of the unstable mindset of the unsub or because they were trying to throw them off. Both theories aligned with the multiple voices. If this unsub truly was that unstable, it's possible they had multiple personalities. It's also true that the multiple voices could mean there was an actual effort made to throw any investigators off their trail and confuse the profile...There were endless contradictions and to tell the truth it made Reid develop a headache. A deep aching set in his head, and he kept furiously rubbing his temples.

"Need an Advil Reid?" Morgan put his hand on Reid's shoulder and made skin contact. This only further irritated Reid's headache- there were feelings like worry and concern, and he could hear a muffled voice, they were Morgan's thoughts- but majorly unclear due to the effect of the dilaudid.

"I'm fine." Reid assured while brushing Morgan's hand off his shoulder. "I just need to get my go bag." Sharp pains plagued Reid as he walked away, and he couldn't seem to detect why. Dilaudid not only made his power weaker, but it was a natural pain killer. The only instances where he felt pain was in the event that someone was feeling strong emotions and they couldn't force their way through the dilaudid high. For instance Morgan's thoughts made the pain worse...but he could quite pinpoint why someone was having such strong emotions now.

Soon enough however, as he ignored the pain and went to retrieve his bag it slowly faded. He breathed a sigh of relief when the last pangs disappeared and his tense body began to relax.

He made it to the jet and everyone had sat down reviewing the case file again. Reid closed his eyes and put his head back, thinking about the case with a clear head. He let himself relax and focus on the facts: There was DNA found at exactly two crime scenes, which means only two out of the five women were sexually assaulted.

**Crime One:** Diana (_Peppermint_) Barros, restrained and bludgeoned with a hammer. Not sexually assaulted.

**Crime Two:** Violeta (_Violet_) Serban, held down and choked to death. Sexually assaulted.

**Crime Three:** Fen (_ChiChi_) Sūn, stabbed once through the heart. Not sexually assaulted.

**Crime Four:** Heather (_Sunflower_) Klein, beaten to death. Sexually assaulted.

**Crime Five:** Mele (_Aloha_) Kalua, throat was violently cut. Not sexually assaulted.

He let his mind wander to the patterns- Every other girl was assaulted. Every other girl was killed with bare hands. Two people? Switching MOs? Or personalities? Every crime took a decent amount of strength, and crime two and four were definitely male. Crimes one, three, and five were probably male, as well.

Hotch interrupted his thoughts, "So why would the methods of operation be this scattered?"

Rossi began to make a point, "The unsub is unstable, and keeps changing his mind about the kill method."

"And yet in every crime scene there were no witnesses?" Prentiss asked. "No fingerprints either?"

"Maybe he's impulsive, he can usually keep himself at bay but occasionally makes a mistake- like sexually assaulting the woman."

"Maybe there isn't just one unsub." Reid decided to finally make his ideas known. "Every other girl is sexually assaulted, and the kill methods are with bare hands. As opposed to the other crimes where there is no sexual assault and the kills are with some weapon. It could be a team taking turns with their kills."

"That would make sense." Hotch nodded, "The unsub who uses weapons and doesn't sexually assault them would probably be the dominant personality. They also took the first kill- they're probably a bit more organized, and that's why they haven't gotten caught yet..."

"Or the one who uses their bare hands and sexually assaults could be dominant. They're typically more violent and less efficient. The submissive could be the one making sure that things are kept organized." Morgan opened the case file, "The first kill could have been done by the submissive until the dominant decided to take over."

"It's very rare that the submissive takes the first kill." Prentiss explained, "A submissive can be just as aggressive as a dominant if not more. Though I agree that the sexual assaults typically fit a more dominant personality..."

"Hotch mentioned before that the unsub might be going through an identity crisis." Rossi pitched in, "Maybe the submissive personality assaults the woman because they're trying to prove to themselves that they're not sexually at fault. Or maybe the dominant knows and encourages him to do so."

"That would imply that they're close to each other." Reid commented, "Brother's maybe? Good friends? Is there a possibility they could both hold latent feelings for each other?"

Prentiss looked up, "Maybe the submissive holds feelings for the dominant, but it's unreciprocated. He sexually assaults the woman to prove that he doesn't hold any feelings for his dominant counterpart."

"Well we have a long flight ahead of us." Hotch pointed out, "We should all think on this and get some rest. When we get to California we'll figure out our course of action."

Reid followed Hotch's orders and let himself put his head back again and closed his eyes. Sooner then later his body slowly relaxed and everything around him slowly faded.

* * *

_Spencer._

_Why are you ignoring it?_

Reid felt around him- but he couldn't feel anything. In fact he couldn't feel himself. And who was talking to him? It was...it sounded like him.

"Ignoring what?"

_You're_ ignoring_ the signs. Why._

"I'm not ignoring anything. Who are you?" Reid couldn't feel- or see- or smell- or even hear, and he tried to move but nothing would happen. It was only darkness. Panic slowly set in as he realized he had no body, he was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

_I'm your better half. And I don't understand **why** you ignore me like that._

The voice was angry and suddenly he could feel something. Burning. It was endless burning that would char his skin if he were to have a body. It hurt. It was excruciating.

* * *

Reid gasped and sat up. He must have fallen asleep...He searched through his mind for answers- a dream, it was only a very strange dream. Must be the dilaudid.

"You okay, kid?" Morgan asked from across him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Reid ran his hands through his hair. He yawned- maybe he should get some more sleep.

"You might want to get some coffee. We're gonna be landing soon." Morgan stretched his arms.

"We are?" Reid furrowed his eyebrows, "The flight is five hours."

Morgan laughed, "And you've been out for five hours, pretty boy."

Reid stared in confusion. He must have been sleeping for what was only a few minutes. There was no way that was five hours. "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now get out of that head of yours we need to start working soon."

Morgan's feelings were very obvious to Reid. And that's when he realized that the entire five hours he was sleeping that it was time to take another dose- and- and- **_shit_**.

He hadn't been using his powers for days now- and actually possessing them again was overwhelming. Why did everyone have to feel so much? "I- I think I will get that coffee." Reid stood up and began to walk through the tight jet. He made his way to the coffee maker and poured himself a mug of already prepared coffee. Then he took the dilaudid out of his pocket and added the drops he needed. He was about to put them away when he felt somebody behind him.

"What are you doing, Reid?"

Hotchner.

"Getting coffee, what does it look like." Reid laughed and managed to stuff the dilaudid back into his pockets before turning around and then taking an enormous gulp of coffee. He needed the dilaudid _now_. **_Suspicion. Concern. Anger. Realization. _**"Why?"

"I'm getting coffee too." Hotchner slowly moved passed Reid and began to pour himself a cup. **_ Anger. Confusion._**

"Okay." Reid smiled and moved through the jet again making it back to his seat.

"Are you fine? You look like you've just had the fear of God struck in you." Rossi had turned his attention to Reid.

"I'm fine." Reid assured. He took another sip of his coffee and looked into it, "I'm fine." He assured himself.

There was nothing to worry about.

* * *

_Well I finally got that done!_ _It was very fun to write! Please leave your thoughts and comments in the reviews!_

* * *

**_Again:_**

**If any of you are interested in cheap writing lessons or need editing help (this includes essays, short stories, novels and writing of any kind) then please visit: **

** MastermindWriters at Tumblr**

**Or email: mastermindwriters123 at Gmail**


	10. Second Chances

_I'm trying to make a more distinct plan for this story, because I generally know how it's going to play out but a lot of the little details get lost and I end up writing something I wasn't planning in the first place. Sorry for taking so long to get these chapters out, but I haven't exactly been in the writing mood lately. Though don't worry, I don't plan on abandoning this story._

* * *

**Second Chances**

* * *

Reid was nervous, his leg bounced up and down and his fingers rapidly drummed against the table as he observed the geographical profile. Hotch had barely spoken to him other than to give orders ever since they landed. He had been limited to work not involving other people. While everyone else on the team had a chance to go out into the field, or interview families, Reid was subject to work alone in the police station. He wanted to take more dilaudid, but he prevented himself in the fear that Hotch would catch him in the act and have his suspicions confirmed. He felt like he was being held loosely over an open flame, there was always the chance he could get burned at any moment.

He circled the kill ranges and arranged them into steady circles that overlapped. He highlighted each overlapping region and made a note about the area. There were two corresponding sections that managed to grab his attention- one was a typical lower-middle class working area with plenty of those subject to dull repetitive work in their daily lives. The other was a well off neighborhood with plenty of white collar workers and professional office space. They so heavily clashed with one another that Reid had stopped bouncing his leg for a moment and made a note_ 'possible living areas'_. He supposed that it made sense- the dominant personality would live in the white collar district and the submissive would be in the lower-middle class.

The possibility of the submissive unsub having a dull repetitive job made sense...It was just another facet of his life that could possibly attribute to his sense of failure and insecurity. Sexually assaulting the woman is just another means to feel power where he is powerless in most of his life. The dominant unsub in comparison lives a comfortable, successful life and has learned how to be organized and less impulsive when it comes to the kills. The question is why the dominant feels the need to kill in the first place- there's a definite reason for the submissive unsub (insecurity), but the dominant's motivations are less clear. Perhaps he's just a narcissist? Maybe it was his idea to send out the binder of information- as a sort of taunt, bragging almost.

"Making any progress, Reid?" Hotch's voice startled Reid out of his analysis and he began to bounce his leg again.

"Uh- yeah." He nodded at the table and avoided facing Hotch, "I think I narrowed down where each unsub might live." He hastily gestured to the two brightly highlighted areas. "The dominant probably lives in this white collar district-" He gestured to the section of the map. "And the submissive probably lives in this lower-middle class area." His finger drifted to that section and he tapped it several times. "I made a lot of notes about it."

Hotch's eyes focused on the notes that Reid wrote. They were written in a quick, barely legible scrawl. Hotchner furrowed his brows. "Under recent suspicions...I've scheduled you for a drug test in five days."

Reid eyes blurred briefly and a string of information entered his mind:

_**"Dilaudid remains in urine up to 3-4 days after one dose, 12 hours in blood, 90 days in hair."**_

"What kind." Reid knew the typical procedures were done through urinalysis, but there was the latent possibility they could test his hair.

"Urine test."

Reid let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. A sudden feeling of overwhelming guilt and deep sadness engulfed him- he had to restrain himself from collapsing. It was like his blood pressure had dropped. Reid realized that Hotch could have scheduled a drug test right away, he could have even put in a specific request for testing his hair. "Thank you."

"After that test you'll have to take one every other day for a month. I'm attributing the frequent tests to heightened stress in the workplace, if each one turns out negative for drugs the records of any tests will be expunged off your file." Hotchner paused, "It's completely your choice to tell me anything you need to in confidence...and as long as whatever you reveal doesn't warrant immediate action, I won't disclose any information. You're also free to do the same with anyone else on the team- I'm sure they've known you long enough to grant the same courtesy."

"Why are you..." Spencer's voice drifted off the unspoken question, _Why are you giving me a second chance?_

"You're strong Reid, as much as you may not see it- you're not only a valuable asset to this team because of your mind, but because of your will to overcome challenges. Don't let one mistake tear you down."

Reid turned slowly from the map and finally let himself look Hotch in the eyes, if only for a brief moment he let himself search for any doubts or uncertainty in Hotch's psyche. He found none. Reid gave a short nod as a silent reminder of his gratefulness.

Hotchner returned the nod and let himself straighten his back and change his demeanor, "The rest of the team should be done with their responsibilities by now. I told them to meet up in the conference room so we could all go over the information we have. Gather your thoughts and come over soon." Hotch then moved towards the door and casually walked out of the room.

Reid's nervousness had faded into tense insecurity. He was of course grateful for Hotch, and the fact that he wouldn't be fired as long as he kept clean- but he couldn't help imagining how painful everything would continue to be. He took the dilaudid for a reason, it wasn't just meant as an escape it was meant to keep his powers at bay- but without that? What would he do? He'd already subject himself to seclusion in the room he was working in, even then he could clearly feel the emotions of people who were probably several yards away.

He'd put nagging thoughts and feelings at the back of his mind, and the only reason he was able to do that was because the dilaudid hadn't wore off fully yet. How much stronger had his powers gotten in the timeframe he had been preventing himself from feeling them? They couldn't have gotten that much stronger over the course of a few days...but the crisp emotions he felt currently begged to differ.

How would he keep the other empath off his path? He had come to the conclusion previously that the other empath had most probably found an interest in his powers and used the killings of young girls to grab his attention. After he began to take the dilaudid and his powers faded he had assumed that the other empath had lost interest- gone off into a hiding of sorts. Now that he had found his powers again...would the empath kill more?

His thoughts went back to the dream he had on the plane...There was a disembodied voice that had scolded him for ignoring the signs. Ignoring what signs? What had he been ignoring? The voice even went as far to call itself his "better half". Was this the other empath? It most certainly was...the dilaudid had probably just faded enough to let one message in from the empath. Now that he had received it he couldn't even figure out what it meant. He knew what kind of personality the empath had- the lily gave him all the information and now all he needed to do was find those personality traits. He recalled the traits...

_Stubborn. Impatient. Impulsive. Organized. Jealous. Obsessive. Hopeful. Manipulative. Brilliant. **Hateful.**_

Now all he needed to do was be aware of them. He took a deep breath and got up from the table, everybody was probably waiting for him in the conference room. He let himself ponder over the many problems he had faced these past few days and tried his best to ignore the influx of emotions that tightly packed the police station. By the time he made it to the conference room everybody had casually been sitting around drinking coffee and eating bagels. Prentiss, Morgan, and Rossi all sat at different chairs around the conference table while Hotch stood towards the front of the room.

"I stopped for some food on the way back from the crime scenes." Morgan said as he picked up a lone cup of coffee, "I got you a large cafe americano with eight shots of espresso and extra sugar. Just how you like it.

"Thanks, Morgan." Reid took the cup from him and smiled. He really was happy for that- he needed some more caffeine right now.

"I also got a big bag of bagels so you can go ahead and have one of those too." Morgan smiled, "You might want to grab one now before they all disappear."

Prentiss and Rossi both gave pointed looks to Morgan as they stuffed their faces with bagel.

"I didn't eat on the plane Morgan and a woman needs her food." Prentiss took another bite of the bagel in her hands.

"Same goes for Italian men." Rossi added, "Carbohydrates make up about fifty percent of my diet."

Reid smiled and sat down at the conference table everyone was sitting at. He took a bagel and began to eat.

Hotchner called attention by beginning to speak, "So let's start building a profile for the police."

Everybody sat up and focused. Rossi was the first to speak, "Just like the police- we couldn't get much out of the escorts interviewed. Though we were able to figure out that most escorts were from varying services and that the services are pretty active on the internet."

"We figure that the unsub uses the internet to book appointments with these girls and they ambush them once they get there." Prentiss added.

"So we need to call Garcia and get a list of all the people who visited and booked appointments on these websites over the days before the murders." Hotchner concluded.

Morgan nodded and spoke, "The kill areas didn't give me much information...they were all very nondescript and there didn't seem to be any witnesses at the scenes."

Reid swallowed a bite of bagel, "I managed to discern where the unsubs probably live. There's a white collar area and lower-middle class subset of city that overlap with the radius of the crime scenes."

"So you're thinking that the dominant lives in the white collar district and the submissive lives in the lower middle class." Rossi confirmed.

"Yeah." Reid answered, "It would be most likely."

"Do you think it's a possibility that the submissive worked under the dominant? Maybe one is the employer and the other is the employee?" Prentiss commented. "It would only further support our profile."

Hotchner nodded and looked towards Morgan. "Morgan, get Garcia on the phone we want to see if anybody aligns with our profile."

"Already on it." Morgan had his phone out and put it on speaker, it rang once before Garcia picked up.

_"Welcome to the house of all knowledge, Goddess Garcia speaking."_

"Hey girl, you're on speaker. We want you to do some digging for us."

_"And what, may I ask, are you looking for dear profilers?"_

Hotchner spoke, "Do a double search: one for white men in their mid-thirties who live in the white-collar area of San Francisco and another for white men in their mid-thirties who live in the lower middle-class district."

_"Okay... that's an extremely long list. Give me more info, please."_

"Cross check them for employer-employee status, so just align the bosses with the workers." Prentiss added.

_"Got it."_

"Okay now separate everyone who visited the escorts websites and booked appointments."

_"Alrighty, that's gonna take a little longer, but I can do it."_ There was rapid typing at the end of the line until Garcia spoke again._ "Okay I have only one name left. He's an executive for an architecture company and he visited all the escort services on his work computer. He fits the profile, white, thirty-five years old, and he's also had a history of violence- just a few assault charges during his high-school years, but they were all dropped. He has one wife named Isabella and looks to be pretty powerful."_

"That's probably the dominant we're looking for..." Hotchner nodded, "Do you have any information about his employees? We're looking for someone their mid-thirties and white like him, probably has a lot more assault charges- might have even served time."

_"Yeah that's a surprisingly long list of people. There are exactly sixty-seven individuals that fit your description that work under him."_

"Looks like we'll be having a much harder time finding the submissive..." Morgan said.

Hotchner nodded in agreement, "Alright Garcia, send us the name and address of our main suspect- and the names of all sixty-seven people, that's all we need for now."

_"Always at your service."_ Then there was a click as Garcia hung up.

Everyone's phone buzzed at once, and Reid assumed it was the information that Hotch had asked for. He didn't bother to reach for his phone. Instead he waited until Hotchner began to give orders.

"I'm going to give our profile to the station and alert them of our suspect, Reid and Morgan you go to the address and bring him in for questioning. Prentiss and Rossi, go through the names of the other sixty-seven people and try your best to narrow down the number of people."

Everyone began to disband, and Reid was eternally grateful for Hotch giving him an assignment where he actually got to do something out in the field. As he picked up his satchel he thought about how much Hotch must trust him, even after what he had done...

"Alright Reid, let's head over to the address and get-" Morgan glanced at his phone, "Mr. House." Reid nodded and followed Morgan. Morgan continued, "So why was Hotch angry with you?"

Reid figured that the team would notice, in what situation would an elite group of profilers not notice? "I made a mistake, but we worked it out." Reid was becoming a better master at half-truths. Since his ability to lie was surprisingly stunted whenever he spoke to the team he did his best to be as honest as he could.

"What kind of mistake?" Morgan prodded even though he knew that Reid didn't want to answer. Reid let himself detect Morgan's emotions, there was only intrigue and curiosity- no hint of suspicion. Although it made Reid feel good that Morgan didn't suspect him of anything bad, it also hurt Reid to know how much his team members trusted him...and how often he managed to betray that trust.

"I- I don't feel at liberty to say." Reid struggled to keep a straight face now that they were walking through the station. They would make it out to the parking lot soon, but even then the amount of emotions that invaded his mind were painful.

"You know we're all pretty worried about you." Morgan admitted, "Considering how close you were to the last case it must have taken a toll on you."

"It did." Reid agreed with Morgan, "But I'm not letting it get to me now. I didn't even know Josh that much anyway...he was a bully- why would I care about him?"

"But Reid you and I both know that facing bullies is harder than facing friends. You had to interview him...and he went crazy. It's completely understandable that you'd feel stress over that. In fact, I'd be even more worried about it if you didn't feel anything."

_Well I do feel everything_. Reid felt like saying, but he restrained himself. He stayed silent until they made it out into the parking lot and to the car. As they both got in he replied to Morgan, "I'm doing fine Morgan." He was anything but fine, but when it came to supernatural abilities he couldn't exactly share his troubles with anyone. "Let's just get to the address quickly and solve this case before anyone else gets hurt."

Morgan reluctantly nodded and got into the driver's seat. The feelings he resonated were coming off him in waves. Reid felt pain and almost felt like telling Morgan to stop _feeling_ so damn much. "Hey Reid." Morgan said while looking at him.

"What?"

"You're getting a nosebleed."

Reid felt up to his face and looked at his hand- bright red blood adorned his fingers. He groaned, he just kept getting nosebleeds...he reached into his satchel and brought out tissues. "I've been getting them recently...it's just because of the recent low humidity I'm prone to them. I have dry skin."

Morgan still remained concerned, "Just get it checked out."

"I'll be fine Morgan as many as 60 million people in the United States have nosebleeds each year it's a very common condition."

Morgan grudgingly accepted it and began to drive, he looked at the address and name again.

_Connor House, _Morgan mouthed to himself.

Reid didn't notice.

* * *

_Ta-dah! So do you guys recognize that name? I figure a lot of you have already predicted a lot of this. I've finished another chapter and I know exactly how I'm going to continue the next one. So look forward to a new chapter coming up sometime next week. _

_Just another note- I made a playlist on Spotify called "Assault of Empathy" where I chose songs that fit the theme of this story and I listen to while I write. Some of them are a bit random, but most are pretty aligned with the theme._

_And yet again you can visit MastermindWriters at tumblr if you want any cheap writing lessons. There's also a donate button on the page if any of you are willing to help out. _

_Thanks, _

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	11. Never Hold Back

**_EDIT: LONG AUTHOR RANT REMOVED_**

_I've officially named the song for this fanfic as "Where is My Mind" by the Pixies. Specifically the piano version by Novo Piano is beautiful and I've seriously been listening to it on repeat. It really encompasses all that I think Reid is going through. I recommend giving it a listen._

_Yet again please visit: **MastermindWriters at tumblr for writing lessons, and/or donate (donation button located on the top left page). I need to start making more money (college costs a lot) and it would be highly appreciated.**_

* * *

**Never Hold Back**

* * *

By the time they both had arrived at the house Reid's headache was reverberating through his head like a loud noise. He'd been trying his best to cast out any lone feelings, but it seemed like the more he tried to fight the power the more powerful it got- and the more his pained increased. His nose had stopped bleeding, but he could feel the wetness of another coming on. As Morgan parked in the front driveway of the home he took a few painkillers and sighed. When he looked out the window he noticed the house was rather large and looked to be well kept, the hedges were perfectly cut and there were decorative flowers at the front of the home. Lilies, many lilies. Reid ignored the shiver that went down his back and got out of the car with Morgan.

"Pretty nice house." Morgan commented as they walked up the pathway to the front door.

Reid nodded and observed the house for a moment before speaking, "It looks professionally cared for, originally lawns were meant as a sign of aristocracy amongst English settlers in the United States. Only the most wealthy households could maintain a lawn and garden. Now about 80% of Americans who own homes have lawns, however paying for care like this would cost somewhere around $800 to $1,000 dollars for the mowing season and an upwards of $1,500 for continuous garden care."

"So they have money." Morgan smirked.

"Yes, they have money." Reid conceded, "What's the name of our suspect, again?" It came to his attention that he never bothered to the read the email that Garcia sent.

They had made it to the entrance, and Morgan rang the doorbell and knocked harshly. "You really need to read your emails, Reid. It's Connor House."

Reid's world froze.

"I- I think I heard you wrong." He took in a shake breath, "Did you say Connor House?"

"Yeah, why?" Morgan questioned, "What's wrong?"

Reid was about to speak, but the front door opened. He nearly closed his eyes expecting to see Connor, but instead a women had opened the door.

That's when Morgan held up his badge. "Hello ma'am, I'm Supervisory Special Agent Morgan." He gestured to Reid who was silent and staring into space, "This is Dr. Reid. We're looking for Connor House, is he home?"

"No, he's working...I'm his wife Isabella- What is this about? Is he okay?" The women threw back her curly brown hair and took a look at both of them. She glanced at Morgan for a brief moment, but her attention seemed to be focused on Reid. She observed him for a while before she shook her head and looked back at Morgan.

Reid had begun to gather his senses as Morgan answered her questions. "Your husband is fine, miss. We just need to take him in for some brief questioning." Reid began to feel intense emotions radiating from Isabella. She seemed to be consumed with nervousness and confusion. Morgan continued, "Could you please tell us where he is?"

"About what? Why do you need to question him?" She was beginning to get frustrated.

"Ma'am..." Morgan took a breath, "Your husband is suspected in a case of ours and we need to question him."

"Suspected of what? Tell me what's going on immediately, I'm his wife."

"There have been a number of murders in your area...and your husband happens to fit the profile. I'm very sorry ma'am, but we need to get him in right away. Can you tell me exactly where he is working."

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Connor's wife furrowed her eyebrows and gave a pointed look, "If you think my husband is behind these killings then that is absolutely wrong! He's an abrasive man, but he wouldn't kill anybody!"

"Well...we still need to question him. Could you tell us exactly where your husband is?" Morgan was beginning to get frustrated, as much as he understood how horrible this must feel for the wife- he couldn't help but get angry, yelling wouldn't help anything. Reid was beginning to gather his senses and he took a breath and brought out his phone, ready to call when she gave up the information.

Isabella took a deep breath and clenched her fists, "He should be monitoring a small construction job on Pacific Avenue and Leavenworth Street."

Immediately Reid raised his phone to Morgan as a sign he was going to call the rest of the team. Morgan nodded.

Reid took a deep breath to gather his thoughts and dialed Rossi, he was the last person he called other than Hotchner- and he figured Rossi and Prentiss could afford getting Connor from the construction site. He wasn't willing to go with Morgan at this point, and they needed to interview Connor's wife. He began to walk down the path from the home, the phone rang twice before he heard Rossi on the other end.

_"What is it kid?"_

"Hey Rossi-" His voice halted so he took another breath and forced out the words, "Connor House should be at a small construction site on Pacific Avenue and Leavenworth Street...you and Prentiss are closer and we're going to talk to his wife and see if she knows anything."

_"Got it, thanks."_ Rossi hung up the phone and Reid walked back up to the home where Morgan waited. The door was open and Isabella was no longer standing the doorway.

Morgan immediately spoke up, "I told the wife that we were going to question her right after we spoke to our team. She should be inside now, making coffee."

Reid furrowed his brows, "Why didn't you start questioning her right away?" He knew why, but he didn't want to give it away.

"Because I needed to talk to you first," Morgan changed his demeanor from lax to intense, "Why did you freeze up when I said the suspects name? The last time that happened was back at Chapparel High School on our last case when Garcia mentioned Josh Hudson...You recognized that name, and I want to know what's going on right now." Reid knew Morgan wouldn't let it go.

"This case..." Reid took a breath. He needed to tell the truth now. He couldn't let people keep getting hurt. "This case must be connected to our last. Josh Hudson...he along with his girlfriend Samantha Lange and two other boys-"

"Connor House?" Morgan widened his eyes.

"Yes. Connor House and David Hart, they were the other two kids who attacked me when I was younger." Reid shook his head, "I don't exactly know how- but these cases are most definitely connected. The first killings of bullies must have been the first message to me, the second killings...these are just meant to keep my attention."

"So...if Connor House is the dominant- do you think David Hart is the submissive? All these old high school friends collaborated together to specifically make a message to you? Why? Why now?"

"I- I don't think that any of them are the real masterminds to this." Reid put his hands out, "I think there's somebody else who is forcing them to do these killings- as much as they were bullies, I really don't think any of them could be capable of cold-blooded murder like this."

"Who else would it be, Reid? They're the last people to have any connection to your attack according to you- Who else would have this kind of information? And how could they possibly force people to commit murder like this? There's no way somebody could possibly be forced into killing people unless they already had their own problems."

Reid couldn't bring up the other empath...If anything this could be a complete stranger who happened to find out Reid had powers like them. They could have used their power to drive into Reid, even find out his memories and emotions...he didn't know how far the other empaths power reached- he already knew they were unbelievably intense. "I don't know."

Morgan reached into his pocket brought out his phone . He opened the email that Garcia sent with the sixty-seven other names, "Reid- David Hart is here. He has to be the other unsub. Reid...I'm going to go inside and start questioning House's wife in light of this new revelation. You need to call Garcia and get information on David Hart and where he lives...and then get on a group call and tell everyone what you just told me. Do not leave _any_ information out."

Reid nodded and took in his new responsibilities. He grabbed his phone again and dialed Garcia.

_"Hello Junior G-Man, have anymore information to give me?"_

"Hey Garcia, on your list there's the name David Hart. I need you to check if he's been around this area recently and worked consecutively under Connor House...and get me an address."

_"I'm on it..."_ There was rapid typing at the other end of the line until Garcia spoke up again,_ "Well I think you'll be happy to see that David Hart works under Connor House quite often, and he fits your profile. How'd you figure that David Hart was the other unsub?"_

"I'll tell you in a few minutes- can you get everyone on the phone for a group call? Excluding Morgan."

_"Yeah, sure."_ There was a typing on the other end then multiple rings, _"What's this about, Reid?"_ One by one each of the team picked up.

"I need to tell all of you some new information that has come to me regarding this case."

_"What is it, Reid?"_ The distinctive seriousness was all he needed to recognize Hotchner.

_"Yeah, what's going on?"_ Prentiss sounded concerned.

"I believe Connor House and another man named David Hart are the unsubs." There was a brief sound of interruption on the other line before Reid spoke up, "The reason I've come to this conclusion is because of my connection to them in the previous case. Connor House and David Hart were the other two students who attacked me when I was younger, along with Josh Hudson and Samantha Lange. There must be a connection, coincidences like these just don't happen."

_"Garcia, can you please find out where David Hart is right now." _Hotch gave the order.

_"He should be working the same construction job as House right now."_

_"Prentiss and I are already heading towards the location," _Rossi pitched in. _"Call us if you need anything."_ There were two clicks as Prentiss and Rossi left the line.

There was a silence.

A longer silence.

_"Should I leave, sir?"_ Garcia's hesitant voice suggested through the line.

_"Yes, Garcia."_

There was one last click, and Reid was left alone on the line with Hotchner. "What do you want me to do now, Hotch?" He wouldn't be surprised if he was ordered to leave the case.

_"I want you to come back to the station. I understand you took a ride with Morgan, but I need you back, whether that means calling a cab or not- it's become clear to me that your involvement in this case is no longer appropriate. I also understand you've been under a lot of stress lately."_

"I- Hotchner, these killings...From those young girls to this? I'm sorry I didn't see this connection sooner. I could've stopped it, but I've been so distracted lately I just-"

_"Reid, you need to stop blaming yourself. There's no way you could have foreseen a situation like this, it's ultimately something that is unfortunate but we need to get to the bottom of. It wouldn't be wise of me to keep you working out in the field, not only because of the present situation but because of your drug use."_

"Hotch-"

_"I'm your boss Reid, not only your friend. My nature has never been elusive, and I will not revise my language to make you more comfortable. If I didn't find out you would have spiraled...you would have lost yourself under the heighted stress of the workplace, and I understand your stress- but I will not make light of this. You are not doing any field work, you will come into the station, and we will solve this case."_

Hotchner then left the line. Reid's voice had been caught in his throat, through the phone he couldn't feel Hotchner's emotions, but simply from his tone he knew exactly how hard Hotch was trying not to raise voice. Reid gripped the phone tightly in his fist and took a deep breath. He felt completely helpless, in any other non-supernatural situation he would have told them everything- but not one of them would believe the explanation he had to give. They're all so logical, so stuck in a scientific state of mind, just as he would be the same if not for his personal experience. Even worse, he knew that if he told them not only would they not believe him, they would assume he was like his mother...they would think he was suffering through some schizophrenic break. No. He couldn't let that happen. He won't let them believe he's crazy.

Slowly, Reid turned back to the house and walked through the open door. The house was clean, and organized- a short hall led him to a large family room where Morgan was taking questions across from Isabella on a couch. Reid let Morgan finish up asking a question when he interrupted, "I have to go back to the station."

"I actually just finished up the interview Reid, Mrs. House here will come later into the station to give an official statement to a local officer." Morgan began to stand up and so did Isabella.

"I actually never changed my name Agent Morgan- it's not Mrs. House, it's still my maiden name Moreno. I apologize for being rude earlier, but as you can imagine insinuating such a thing about my husband was very horrible for me to hear."

Morgan smiled, "We understand Mrs. Moreno...thank you for your time."

Reid began to leave with Morgan and when they finally walked out of the house Morgan spoke again. "So Hotch brought you off of the case?"

"Not exactly, I just won't be doing any field work for a while. I think he still wants me to help, especially since I knew all of the unsubs."

"Avoiding field work in general? Even after this case?" They finally made it to the car and got inside. "Why?"

"His exact words were 'heightened stress in the workplace'." _And drug abuse_. It was a stretch, but Hotch did use those words.

Morgan was angry, and Reid could feel it. "That's not right, it's like a punishment, you can handle yourself." He turned towards Spencer before beginning to drive, "He's acting like he doesn't trust you."

"I think he's right actually." Reid sent a wave of calm towards Morgan, whose shoulders immediately relaxed. "I need a break, I'm very stressed, and I understand and trust his judgement." Reid felt guilty for using his powers to calm Morgan down, but he couldn't have him getting angry at Hotch. If anything, Hotchner let him off easy.

"I-" Anger fought to leave Morgan, but there was still calm. "I guess I get it. You need a break, you're very stressed, and I understand and trust his judgement." Reid didn't let himself dwell on how uncomfortable he was about how easily he had control over Morgan. It was for a reason. It's not like he hurt him.

The rest of the car ride was fairly silent, Reid's headache had gone away miraculously- and for once the feelings around him didn't seem as overwhelming. He opened himself up to the people in their cars and houses. Shutting himself out was only wrong now, the other empath out there is very powerful and Reid knew that if he needed to face the other empath he needed to do it while he was at his strongest, at his best. He would be breaking his rules several times over... he closed his eyes and let himself think of them.

1\. Do not use your powers for personal gain

2\. Do not influence someone unless absolutely necessary

3\. Do not use your powers on your friends. Ever.

He had broken all of these. Now all they do his cause him grief, he _needed_ to use his powers- if he didn't this empath would win. The empath could hurt him and his team. Not only this, but Reid had come to a revelation...every time he tried to force his power down, every time he put up his wall and blocked it out, it only hurt him and his team further.

He had assumed that the reason he got nosebleeds, headaches, and aching pain was because of the strength of his power- he had assumed that the emotions he felt and the messages he sent out were too much for him and hurt him. However, now that he had brought his wall down and now that he could feel the waves of emotions around him freely he knew it was the opposite.

Before this moment, every time he used his power he was holding himself back and pushing an innate part of who he was down under the surface...this excess strain is what hurts him, the power is natural...How can something so natural overwhelm him? Pushing it down is unnatural and he needed to stop. He needed to let his powers roam free and reach their potential. The other empath said he was ignoring the signs, well he wasn't anymore.

Only one rule was left after he finally decided to get rid of the previous three:

Never hold back.

* * *

_Finally! Finally I finished this chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with me through all of this, I'll do my best to get the next one out soon. Please tell me what you think! It's such wonderful motivation, and is really great for me._

_~Moriarty-Mastermind_


	12. Click, Boom

_So the only reason this took two weeks to get out instead of one was because I really wanted to release the chapter on Wednesday, and I ended up finishing on Friday. My traffic is always highest on Wednesday and dips to a low during the weekend. So I haven't been slacking! It's a strategic placement, yo. _

_In other news, if any of you have me on author alert then you may or may not know that I posted that story I was mentioning last chapter (I apologize for the personal problems I spewed out at you, I may edit that out at some point.) If any of you are interested, check it out, it's called "Feathers and Wax". Here's the description:_

_When Daedalus created his wings, he had warned his son Icarus that he neither fly too low or too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings or the sun's heat melt them... Reid had supposed his Bipolar disorder was much the same, and so far he has lead his life with wings made of feathers and wax...The only real question was: Would he be Daedalus or Icarus?_

_Only the first chapter is out but the next one should be coming really soon (I'm nearly done with it). Anyways, sorry for the ultra long author rants...I'll try and minimize that for the following chapters._

* * *

**Click, Boom**

* * *

This new freedom was liberating. Once Reid was back at the station, and finally letting his walls down it was like taking a breath of fresh air. He's been under water so long. His hands weren't shaking, his head didn't hurt...and he felt amazing- every little feeling of the people in the station wasn't as distracting as he had expected, in fact they calmly swirled into a soup of waning emotions that Reid sipped carefully- not too hot, not too cold.. but just right.

He had been sitting alone for a while now...alone in a conference room with thoughts to himself. He knew that Rossi and Prentiss should arrive with Connor and David any minute now- he was prepared to take whatever he needed to. Hotchner was giving a debriefing to the cops in the station, and everyone had become ages calmer once Hotch had explained they have identified the culprits. Reid let himself drape his head down into his arms on the conference table, he felt the station cops suddenly have a wave of excitement and then a sharp turn in either determination or relief...so the debriefing was done. Hotchner was coming in now. His emotional tone was often distinct, an unwavering seriousness followed whatever other emotions he had in his psyche- with a deep drape of professionalism covering any personal feelings.

"It's time for us to talk, Reid." Hotchner wasn't concerned, or even angry- in fact, he was determined and prepared.

"I know." Reid kept his head in his arms so his voice was muffled underneath the light sweater he was wearing. Reid sat up a bit and realized how uncomfortable he felt wearing it...it wasn't cold out, in fact it was rather warm- and his sweaters were often a way to avoid physical contact. He silently took it off and felt the cool air conditioning hit the back of his neck, he rolled up his dress shirt sleeves and took off his tie…this felt much more open- less contained- more comfortable.

Hotchner was interested in this change of manner, but wasn't sidetracked. He pulled up a chair to sit across from Reid, "I'm happy you're going to take the drug test, and frankly I think you are looking infinitely better than I expected."

"I've realized I can't keep chasing my intuitions away, Hotch." Reid leaned forward, "I've made so many mistakes already, and I've mischaracterized situations, hid my emotions and not accepted circumstances." He took a breath, "But overall, Hotch? What I _know_ for certain? I am amazing at my job."

"Reid I can't let you out in the field." Hotchner was steadfast, "I've made that decision already and I'm not changing that."

"I'm not asking you to, Hotch!" Reid didn't so much as yell, but he was animated. "I think that whatever happens when Rossi and Prentiss come back with Connor and David- I think that I need to be involved in this case. You've made it clear before that I have insight into situations, especially ones close to me."

"We've practically solved the case Reid, there's no reason for you to have any further involvement."

"You see I just don't think that's true." That's what Reid knew, he knew there was another empath out there- he knew they needed to catch him. He also knew that he couldn't go at it alone, he needed the help of his entire team in order to find the monster and bring him to justice. "There's someone else out there, Hotch. There's something deeper to all of this- and I don't think this will be the end."

"I often trust your judgement in these situations Reid…but right now I'm not entirely sure whether you're completely clear-headed. If this case proves to be more- I will let you be involved."

"Thank y-"

"Only from an observational standpoint, however. I'm not letting you interview Connor and David…I'm not letting you out in the field, I don't even feel comfortable having you officially on the case. You will observe, and report your ideas- I can only let this go so far."

Reid thought to how much he could take advantage of his powers in this situation. "That's all I need, Hotch." Reid sat up further and turned his head towards the door, "I think Prentiss and Rossi are back with Connor and David. Will you let me see the interviews?"

Hotchner briefly looked out the conference room windows and saw Prentiss and Rossi walk in with their Unsubs. Reid knew Hotchner was confused by how he knew they were here, but there wasn't a bit of suspicion. "You can watch them, under no circumstances will you interact."

"I completely understand, Hotch."

At that moment Spencer stood up and with Hotchner they both walked out of the room. However, Reid avoided the line of sight of Connor and David…who he now observed were both perfectly fluid and conscious. This was in striking contrast to how he had seen Josh when they brought him into the station...When he saw Josh he knew that he had been manipulated in harsh ways, he felt empty and suffocated. The same had been done to Felicity, the girl who Josh nearly murdered, she wouldn't talk to anybody and was very out of it.

This was all because the other empath had gotten to them first- he had emptied them out and made them devoid of emotion. This wasn't the same for Connor and David…and when he felt their emotions it became clear that there were very clearly two separate personalities he had discerned while reading the binder. The empath hadn't got to them yet...it seemed like the empath didn't have a chance to fully clear them of emotions. Reid reveled in the fact that he was finally a step ahead and he thought back to the personalities in the contents of the pink binder:

_One was feigning egotism and felt fake. The next was angry and insecure. The last was a false kindness._

It became clear to Reid that Connor was the one who had a false-ego, he was well and truly a fairly kind man as Reid felt it…but over that kindness there was a deep yearning to be valued and so he faked an intense confidence that wasn't quite his. However, there was a dominance and when Reid thought back to the killings he came to the conclusion that Connor wasn't the one who sexually assaulted the women…it was David.

David was the one who was angry and insecure, he seemed to be boiling with frustration once they were deep into the station. Nevertheless, he was deeply terrified- there was something that struck horror into his core and Reid could nearly touch the distress because of how palpable it was.

Then that's when Reid realized the third voice must have been the other empath. It was rather apathetic and viewed the killings with distaste…but most certainly had a goal in mind.

_Stubborn. Impatient. Impulsive. Organized. Jealous. Obsessive. Hopeful. Manipulative. Brilliant. **Hateful**._

While Reid let himself think, Connor and David had been placed in separate holding cells in the station. Soon enough everyone in the team gathered together to make a course of actions in terms of interviews.

When they were all together it was Prentiss who spoke first, "It was hard to get them here. David Hart put up quite a fight to avoid coming with us, so I don't think we should interview him first- he needs time to settle down in the holding cell or I don't think we'll get much out of him."

Rossi agreed, "Absolutely…House was actually the most cooperative."

Reid sat silently. Just listening.

"Are you sure he's the dominant? Usually they give up the most fight. He could be submissive and we got this turned around." Morgan seemed unsure.

Rossi shook his head, "No definitely not…He was calm because he _is_ the dominant, he still felt in control- Hart's anger was very powerless and it was clear he didn't have the same authority House did."

"I agree with Rossi." Prentiss added, "House is the dominant."

Hotchner finally spoke up, "Well then Prentiss is right we should interview him first...I'd also like to add that Reid is to have no physical involvement in this case. He cannot interview them, or interact with them but he can watch the interviews and feel free to take him at his word."

Morgan furrowed his brow, "Well don't talk about Reid like he's not here. What do you think, kid?"

Reid took a deep breath, "I haven't seen Connor and David in several years….and to be completely honest; out of the four of my attackers they both seemed to be the less violent. I'd imagine they've changed a lot since then."

"They're involvement with you isn't a coincidence either I'd imagine." Rossi pitched in, "I think they most definitely had some type of contact with Josh and Samantha Hudson…what we need to do is figure out why the hell they've decided to suddenly start killing random women. As far as I can see there was no trigger…and they all have a connection to you, Reid."

"I don't know why this suddenly started happening." That was the truth, "And I can't tell you any reason why they might've suddenly started killing." That was lie, "I've had no contact with them for years." That was the truth, "And I think there's much more to this then it seems." _That_ was the truth. If not the whole truth, Reid was still putting a world of trust in his team.

"Well let's start interviewing. Prentiss, I want you to interview Connor…the killings are focused on women so I'd imagine he would respond to one, and since he's fairly calm I don't think there will be any residual anger towards women. However, I do want Morgan to interview David, if he really is aggressive then he needs a strong demanding presence to respond to."

Prentiss and Morgan both agreed, and before long Connor was quickly set up in the interview room and Prentiss had walked in to talk to him. Reid and the rest of the team sat silently behind the one-way window and watched as Prentiss began the interview. The microphone was recording, and they could hear them through a small speaker.

"_Mr. House…Or can I call you Connor_?" Prentiss sat forward and looked at Connor who was silent and looked forward at her.

"_You can call me anything you want_." He folded his hands on the table. "_I'm ready to talk._"

Reid was confused. Ready to talk? To confess? That didn't make any sense.

It seemed like Morgan caught on too, "Why would he say anything? There's no reason for him to confess."

Prentiss didn't hesitate, "_Talk about what, Connor? Talk about how you killed those women?_"

Connor flinched but nodded, "_Yes. I did it. I killed them_." Reid knew that he was telling the truth, but he also knew that Connor wasn't quite honest…he seemed to be nervous, and fidgety. "_David helped me, he killed some of them too._"

"_Why are you telling me this, Connor?_" Prentiss looked him in the eye, _"Do you feel guilty? Did you sexually assault them too? How do we know you're telling the truth?_"

"_I'm telling you because you want me to. What more do you need_?" Reid then felt the overwhelming guilt that overcame Connor. "_I didn't sexually assault them…that was David. And you know I'm telling the truth because of that stupid fucking binder David sent the police station._" He put his head in his hands, "_I'm not talking anymore that's enough evidence you need._"

"He's right." Hotchner stood up to bring Prentiss out of the interview room. "That's information that wasn't released to the public, there's no other way he'd know it."

"Hotch, wait." Rossi stopped him. "Don't we want to know why they sent the binder?"

"There's no point, we can interview David and see how much we can get out of him in order to have a prosecution. At this point Connor is serving a sentence, there's no doubt about that, we only have David based on our circumstantial evidence and assumptions. We need to get his confession or the chances of him getting prosecuted are slim."

Hotchner then proceeded to let Prentiss out of the interview room.

"Well…that was considerably easier than I thought it would be. I wasn't even in there for a minute." Prentiss shook her head, "He was so willing to open up and confess…he immediately ratted out David so it's not like he's protecting him. Why was he so open? Do you think he actually felt guilty?"

"I think Reid is right." Morgan looked at Connor through the window, who still sat with his head in his hands in the interview room. "There's much more to this, House and Hart didn't do this on their own. Connor is protecting someone…and even Hudson said that there was something controlling him- it's like there's another unsub out there pulling the strings."

"Someone manipulative enough to convince an otherwise stable, if originally bully-prone group of people to start killing others." Prentiss furthered the line of thought. "Do we think that this unsub is the one who killed Hudson's wife Samantha? None of the evidence pointed to him in that case right?"

"It's a possibility." Hotchner seemed unsure about this line of theory, and Reid knew he wasn't entirely convinced, but he said none of it. "We need to interview Hart, we might be able to get more out of him because of his unstable tendencies. Connor is too controlled, there's no point in talking to him further."

Reid felt secure in the fact that they finally began to figure it out. There was another unsub out there…or as he currently knew it another empath. Reid figured that the empath must have gotten to Connor somehow- must have manipulated him into protecting them. There was no other reason why Connor wouldn't claim that someone was controlling him, or say he didn't do it.

It took much longer to get David into the interview room. He fidgeted and fought with the officers, the way Reid felt it, David thought he was being attacked- wrongfully accused and trapped somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. At this point his frame of thought was fight or flight.

David was yelling, _"Let me out of here! I didn't do anything! Let me the FUCK OUT!"_

Morgan stood silently outside the one-way window, "Do you think I should go in now, Hotch? Or let him calm down?" He didn't let Hotch answer, "I should go in now. If we leave him in there for too long then he'll leave this state and would think too much. We won't get enough out of him if he's calm."

"You answered your own question, Morgan." Hotch didn't break his gaze away from David.

Morgan nodded and walked into the room, _"David I'm going to ask you a few questions and you're going to answer them alright? The quicker we get through this, the quicker I can get you outside of this room."_

_"I don't have anything to say! I told you I didn't fucking do anything!" _David banged his hands on the metal table, _"Get me the FUCK out of here!"_

Morgan didn't break his cool, and he instead sat down calmly and leaned back into the metal chair,_ "If you don't cooperate I can't get you out of here."_

_"I didn't do anything!" _Reid could suddenly feel guilt.

_"What didn't you do, David? You have to help me here." _

_"I didn't hurt anyone! I didn't-"_ David's voice suddenly went down several octaves. "_I didn't kill those women. I didn't." _

_"Well your friend Connor told us differently, David. He says you killed all of them." _Morgan leaned forward._ "In fact, he says you sexually assaulted them. He says you even made a bright pink binder about it."_

_"What?"_

Reid was hit with a shot of betrayal and sadness. He could feel the strong emotions that rang through David. Strong enough to have a single thought attached:_ Why would he do that?_

Rossi spoke up, "He doesn't seem angry- so I'm assuming he really did value House as a good friend."

Morgan nodded at David, "_He gave you up, David. I'm sorry, but he did_."

_"He wouldn't do that there's **no** reason he would do that. We went through this together! We both-"_ David was nearly whispering,_ "We both went through it! The voices...the- the- the feelings the-"_ His voice cracked, _"It wasn't me man, it wasn't me."_

_"Did someone else tell you and Connor to kill those women, David?"_

_"**YES**! Yes...Someone did, but I didn't- my body did it and I don't know how it happened but they- **it** made me, I swear."_ David sighed, "_I sound like I'm fucking cra-"_ David suddenly froze.

_"David? David? Can you tell me anything about the person who told you to commit those crimes?"_

David's face was lax, his muscles were fully relaxed and there was absolutely no hint to whether or not he had heard Morgan.

That's when Reid suddenly felt it coming off of David in thick waves.

_Stubborn. Impatient. Impulsive. Organized. Jealous. Obsessive. Hopeful. Manipulative. Brilliant. _**_Hateful_**_._

The other empath was getting to him.

David spoke,_ "I did kill them." _His voice was different, smoother, lighter, stronger.

_"David?" _Morgan was confused. Confused enough to even slightly let himself glance at the window...as if to say: What's happening?

_"I told them to do it, I didn't ask David to sexually assault those women, that was all him. It was all his disgusting idea to do so, and the only reason I chose that binder was because it was the only one in the entire store that had lilies. Isn't that just unfortunate? The pink was too bright for me." _He inspected his nails and sat up to cross his legs.

Prentiss was the first to speak up, "David has multiple personalities?"

Morgan regained his cool, _"If you're not David, then who are you?"_

Reid suddenly found his chance. He needed to track down the empath, he needed to find out just where they were. He let himself peer into David and yet- it was black. Pure black. He was entirely blocked he- a sudden burst of pain went through his head, a sharp smell of blood, a bright flash went before his eyes, and a sharp ringing stabbed through his ears. He couldn't stop himself from clenching his fist and flinching violently.

Rossi, who was standing directly next to Reid was the first to notice, "Are you okay, Reid?"

Reid couldn't speak but he managed to nod.

That's when David ignored Morgan's question and suddenly looked straight out the window, straight through as if he could see the rest of the team- and his eyes rested on Reid.

Morgan spoke, _"What are you looking at?"_

The empath spoke, "_Don't even try it Dr. Spencer Reid, you're not better than me." _

"How can he see you?" Prentiss seemed nervous.

Hotchner was the first to offer an explanation, "He can't see Reid he just assumes he's here. He's under delusions."

Reid knew that Prentiss bought the explanation. Her logic accepted it and moved on- but Rossi just looked at Reid curiously, he was suspicious and the motors in his brain were working to find another explanation.

Morgan redirected the conversation, _"How do you know, Reid? He's not even here."_

David rolled his eyes_, "I'm not talking to you Special Agent Derek Morgan."_

Morgan was startled.

"Hotch, Morgan never told him his name_."_ Rossi looked at the team leader, "They did research on our team."

Morgan asked another question_, "What do you know about us, David?" _

_"I'm not David, haven't I made that clear already?" _ He picked at his nails, _"In fact you're annoying me…I want you to get up, leave the room, and immediately shoot Agent Hotchner **straight** in the head, can you do that for me?"_

Morgan sat straight up in his seat.

_"Go do it, Agent Morgan."_


	13. Exposé

Here's for some brief author's notes:

Writer's block is hell.

So, you may ask me, "What possibly motivated you to continue this fic? It's been so long." The answer is really that I felt kinda bad leaving people at such a cliffhanger? Thus, I will finish this fic. I give absolutely _no promises_ as to how quickly it will get done, but it will get done.

I've also been nominated for the 2016 Profiler's Choice Awards for Best Drama. So if you'd wish to vote for me visit this URL at fanfiction net :

_fanfiction () net /topic/197180/159190602/1/Final-Ballot-and-Rules_

And submit your ballot as a PM by Feb 28th. Winners will be announce no later than March 6th.

* * *

**Exposé**

* * *

It happened quickly, and yet so slowly.

_"I'm not David, haven't I made that clear already? I__n fact, you're annoying me…I want you to get up, leave the room, and immediately shoot Agent Hotchner **straight** in the head, can you do that for me?"_

Morgan sat straight up in his seat.

_"Go do it, Agent Morgan."_

Reid's heart rate quickened and acted quickly, he ran to the interview room door and locked it without hesitation, before looking at Hotchner. "I need you to leave the room, _right now._"

"Reid?" Hotchner knitted his eyebrows together in confusion. Everyone was fairly calm, unaware of the danger. Reid could understand, he understood that they couldn't possibly know what was going on but frustration rose in his throat and Hotchner's inaction made him angry. "Reid- Morgan won't do any-"

That's when Morgan began banging harshly on the door, the harsh boom made made Reid twitch. David's body had collapsed suddenly on the ground. Reid leaned on the door, his front facing the others.

**_BOOM_**

Reid could feel the force of Morgan's fists on the metal door and took in a sharp gasp, "You don't understand, Hotch. You need to leave!"

**_BOOM_**

The reverberation in the boom, Reid could hear the metal nearly bending as the door shoved him forward, "Leave now!"

Prentiss went towards Reid and tried to pull him off the door, "Reid! We need to get David help. I don't know what's wrong with Morgan, but he won't hurt Hotchner. Just open the door, Reid." Spencer plastered himself to the door and wouldn't let her get to him.

Rossi went to stop Prentiss, "I think Reid is right... Prentiss there's something seriously wrong with this situation and-" He looked at Reid, "You're not telling us everything. What's going on?"

**_BOOM_**

Spencer only yelled again, "Hotchner I need you to leave right now!"

"Reid I'm not leaving until you give us an explanation, and get off the door- I don't know what Morgan is doing, but we need to get him out there. Get off the door, Reid. Let Morgan out."

"NO!" Reid could feel Hotchner's logic touching him like a bad taste in his mouth. Too much logic. Not enough panic. Not enough urgency.

"That's an order, Doctor Reid!"

That's when Spencer made his decision, despite the fact he wished that he didn't have to- his inaction would only make things worse... and so he let his tendrils of power outstretch and reach far.

**_BOOM_**

He focused his attention to Hotchner.

**_BOOM_**

His words came out as powerful and clear. Firm and unrelenting.

_**BOOM**_

"_You're leaving the room **right** **now** and **not** coming back in_."

Hotchner's body moved like a robot. He left quickly and without a hint of emotion. Reid couldn't find it in himself to feel bad.

Reid now had to deal with Morgan, who stopped banging and stood outside the one-way window, he looked out with an eerie emptiness. His arms were becoming increasingly red as an indication of the massive force he used while banging himself against the metal door.

Prentiss was terrified, "Reid what's going on?!" Her cool exterior was broken, something rare to see from Prentiss. Logic was her rock, her driving force- but what was going on now defied logic...it defied her sense of self.

Reid could feel Rossi's fear as well, and he could nearly hear Rossi's thrumming heart through his increased senses...he was calmer than Prentiss, as if he still understood, "What did you do to Hotchner, Reid." It wasn't much of a question for Reid, as much as it was Rossi trying to find his own answer.

In the room, Morgan unclipped his holster...His actions were slow and decisive as he took out his gun and pointed it straight at the window. Reid couldn't act fast enough.

Then Morgan shot.

The shot was loud and resonated in Reid's ears. The glass shattered and everybody ducked down in order to avoid the splash of glass that showered over them. Reid saw as Rossi gripped Prentiss and ran out of the room, Reid felt the urge to follow but suddenly realized that he couldn't anymore. He couldn't run anymore. He was in control. He was in power, and he needed to save Hotchner. _Never hold back_. He thought to himself, a brief breeze in what was a hazy storm in his mind. _Never hold back_.

Morgan climbed out of the broken frame, unaware of the glass that stabbed him as he pressed his hands in the shards. Reid stared at Morgan's dripping hands, and took several deep breaths, hoping to calm himself.

Reid stood in front of him as Morgan raised the gun in his direction, "Stop!" He tried to work through the control that had been draped over Derek. It was like working through a solid wall- why hadn't he practiced? Why hadn't he used his powers more often? He could stop this now, but he was dreadfully weak in comparison to the other empath. The control over Morgan was thick. It smelt of blood and tar.

It was only when Morgan raised his gun to Reid that his blank face had suddenly shown emotion. Despite the fact his mouth was set in a straight line, and his body was still holding the gun forward...His eyes were now wide, strain stretched at the edges of Morgan's eyes. Calling out to Reid.

_Help me._

"You can fight this, Morgan! I'm trying to help you but I need you to help me! You need to fight it." Reid tried to feel the other empath, he tried to find some hint that he could control whoever this was- find them and stop them from doing this. "What do you want? _Why_ are you doing this? **Stop this**!" Reid screamed, hoping to somehow get through to the other empath. There must be some reason for this! It couldn't just be thrill, Reid knew that now, there had to be a reason.

Morgan put his gun back down, and took slow, precise steps toward Reid and shoved him out of the way. Reid stumbled back and twisted to see that now Morgan was met with several pairs of guns aimed straight at him outside of the room. All the cops were nervous, and unsure- They knew who Morgan was, they were confused, but ready to shoot when it was needed.

Hotchner, Rossi, and Prentiss weren't amongst the people that pointed the guns- they stood slightly in front of the police officers who had gotten wind of the situation- and they were even more confused. More unsure.

Reid managed somehow unstick himself from where he was frozen in place with fear. He ran in front of Morgan as a human shield, and put his arms out. "Don't shoot him!" He pleaded with more than his body language and eyes, but with his power, he wanted to get through to everyone in the room.

Rossi stepped up, and Reid could see Hotchner silent and hidden behind him. "Morgan, whatever is going on you can work through this." Rossi held his hand out towards the number of officers who were clearly trigger-happy, ready to aim and fire, "Don't shoot. I swear, if any of you shoot we'll have a much larger problem on our hands."

Morgan stood without moving. Reid supposed that was a good sign in that moment- if he was directly following the other empath's order (_immediately_) he would have already taken his shot. There was something in Morgan still fighting, and enough power in Reid to stop him. While Reid stood in front of Morgan he placed his arms out in protection, if they shot at Morgan then they'd have to get through him first.

"He doesn't know what he's doing, just _don't_ shoot." Reid pleaded with them. The officers muttered amongst themselves and Rossi began to urge Morgan to put down his gun. Reid tuned them out. Reid ignored all the sounds and outward stimuli and instead focused inward. He needed to do something. He reached inside himself and looked around at the chaos around him, officer's guns twitching in their hands- Prentiss arguing with other officers, Rossi trying to speak to Morgan while he stood silently behind Reid.

Reid took a deep breath, he focused on the emotions in the room- every individual persona. There were so many. He found himself looking into the lives of so many people...depression, anger, happiness...there was so much. After his hold felt strong on everyone he finally reached towards Morgan, whose exterior was hard to surpass but he found himself just close enough to take control. The other empath was wavering. _Just enough_, he thought to himself. _Just enough_. He closed his eyes and spoke, "_Sleep_."

The smack of everybody hitting the ground so quickly startled Reid. He opened his eyes and touched his face, he brought his hand back up and looked at his hand expecting to see blood- but there was nothing. He felt fine, _better_ even. His eyes scanned the room and just as he had hoped, everybody was asleep. At this point though he didn't know how far his powers could go. If the other empath could wipe people's emotions...did this mean he could make people forget?

He carefully stepped forward and turned back to look at Morgan. He could restrain him, but maybe in a few hours, if Morgan slept through the night the other empath's order would have wore off. It had been an _extremely_ long day...The sun was already down and he took a look at the clock...10pm. That meant most of the officers were working the nightshift- if he could somehow replace their memories, make it seem like they just had a long day at work, then maybe he could pull this off.

So he began his work. First off he needed to find a way to get everybody into some kind of...working position? Whatever a working position meant, he was going to get them into it. First off his team, he didn't want to wipe their memories just yet- it felt, so wrong, he had to work his way up to it. He squatted down and whispered to Morgan, "Get up and sit in the conference room." Reid jerked backwards when Morgan stood up and silently made his way in adjacent conference room...Reid watched as Morgan walked into the room, sat down in a chair and laid his head back into his arms to sleep.

This was incredible...and horrifying all at the same time. Reid was capable of this much? He took another vague look at his hands and curled them into fists, before getting back to work.

He made his way to his other team members, echoing the same order- which they all followed, and soon enough they were all slumbering quietly in the conference room. Now what was he going to do with all these cops? Several of them had their guns out, which Reid hadn't considered...what if when they fell they went off? He didn't want to think about it. There was no need to consider the worst possibilities.

He looked around and laid his eyes on everyone on the ground before speaking, "I need you all to stand up, go back to wherever you were before this happened and if you have a gun, put it away. You're going to be sleeping for the next hour," He looked at the clock. It was 10:15. "When you wake up it will seem like you never slept at all...you've been..." _Uh..._ "Working on whatever you were working on...Slacking off a bit because you've made no progress, but you can make up for it. No problem. You're calm."

He waited and everyone did as they were told. It was eerie. They moved like zombies. Some moved to different rooms, others sat at desks and laid their head to sleep. For the next hour presumably, if Reid's orders were strong enough to be followed. He had a feeling they definitely were.

He walked back to the interrogation room and looked at the shattered glass...he'd somehow have to solve this. He looked at David and sighed, he went to unlock the interrogation door and then spoke, "Make your way back to the jail cells and let yourself in."

David got up, his eyes slightly fluttered open and he mindlessly walked away. Reid followed him down to the jail cells to make sure he made his way back there, and was properly secure.

He had to fight down the fluttery panic that made it's way from his stomach up to his chest. He wasn't going to have a panic attack right now, he couldn't...but he acknowledged why he had felt the panic.

When he made his way back to the bullpen he shook out his hands, and took another look at the people huddled, all in their respective places. He turned his head and looked into the conference room. Could he really erase the memories of his team members? He shivered at the thought of it, of somebody going into his mind and erasing key memories. If he did this to his friends...how much better would he be than the other empath?

It was time to tell the truth, to tell the team what was happening. All of the people sleeping in the bull pen...Connor, David, Josh, Samantha- all the seemingly impossible things. This had to be enough for the team to trust him, it had to be enough for the team to believe him. But what if they were terrified of him? Of all that he could do? Spencer shook his head and quickly squashed down that line of thought. The team wouldn't be scared of him. They couldn't be.

Spencer continued to secure himself in his decision as he made his way to the conference room and stood at the head of the table. He briefly went over to Morgan and touched his hand, there was little to no thought- Morgan was having a dream about his dogs. He took his hand away and felt confident enough that the other empath was no longer here, and no longer influencing Morgan.

He went back to the head of the table, took one last settling breath, and spoke, "Wake up."

Everyone gasped awake, Morgan stood up quickly from the table and was breathing in a panic. Prentiss had a similar reaction, she was stunned out of the chair and began to look around in confusion. Rossi startled as well and held his hand out at Morgan. Hotchner appeared the calmest, his disposition didn't give much way to what he was feeling- but Reid knew it was fear and confusion.

"Guys..." Reid started slowly before Morgan turned to him.

"Reid, what the hell is going on? How did we get here? What was that- something was..." Morgan looked at Hotchner, "Hotch, I was going to shoot you. I truly believed I was- but I didn't want to. I swear Hotch."

Hotchner nodded and stood up to look at Morgan. "I believe you, Morgan."

Prentiss was now looking out at the bullpen through the window, "Why is everyone asleep?"

Rossi seemed to be the only one who was really just paying attention Reid. "I think that Spencer here, hasn't been telling us the entire truth."

"I will," Reid explained. "I'm ready to tell you everything, but I have to let you know it's going to sound crazy. You're not going to believe a word of anything I say- but just look at the evidence." Reid used his hands to speak, "I need you to keep your minds open to possibilities that might be beyond your imagination. Arthur C. Clarke said that magic is just science that we don't understand yet...I need you to keep this quote in mind, to throw out all your preconceived believes."

"Are you telling us this has to do with magic, Reid?" Hotch questioned.

"No, no I don't call it magic." Spencer itched to find a way to explain things. "First of all, you need to know that I have certain abilities that developed after what happened to me...what Connor, David, Josh, and Samantha did to me- there are certain things I can do that defy what we currently know about the human mind."

"What kind of things?" Prentiss was now staring at him intently, Reid knew she was doubtful- scared for him even.

"I'm an empath. I know exactly what people are feeling, all the time...If I touch them skin to skin I can hear their thoughts and sometimes, emotional imprints are left on objects, other times I can hear thoughts even if I'm not touching someone skin to skin. If the thought is strong enough," The words felt foreign and strange in his mouth. Explaining it out loud like this sounded absolutely ridiculous. He knew he had to tell them about his influence, but it was hard. He couldn't get the words out.

Hotchner walked closer to him. "That's impossible, Reid. Have you ever considered the possibility…" He trailed off and seemed to change his mind on his phrasing. "What they did to you was a very traumatic experience. What happened here, something obviously happened." He looked out to the sleeping cops, "It has to follow logic."

Reid followed Hotch's line of thought, he obviously thought Reid had formed some kind of delusion. A delusion caused by a traumatic stressor, like what happened to him when he was younger, "Hotchner I know this sounds crazy, but I can prove it."

Hotchner was about to speak again but Reid interrupted him, "You're feeling confused right now, obviously a bit of fear peaking up out of you. You're also anxious- probably about the cops about side, about Connor and Morgan."

Rossi finally spoke, "That's all circumstantial, Reid. That's very non-specific."

"Somebody touch me then!" Reid was losing his patience, "Touch my hand, I can tell you exactly what you're thinking, word for word." He held out his hands.

Rossi was the one to stand up and touch him. Reid braced himself for the thoughts, _I don't know exactly what this is all about kid, but I've seen some crazy shit in my days and I think I believe you. Can you hear me? Is this really true?_

Reid took a breath and looked at Rossi trying to ignore the rest of the thoughts, "You believe me. You're asking if I can hear you…I can. I can hear exactly what you're thinking right now."

_Then tell me what I'm thinking, kid._ "Then tell me what I'm thinking, kid." _I trust you, I don't think you're crazy. My old Italian grandmother mentioned people like you, people who could read minds through touch and feel people's emotions, people who could control others actions with only thoughts. I thought it was all nonsense until now._

Spencer pulled away from Rossi and broke off the thoughts, "You trust me, and you don't think I'm crazy. You were thinking about your grandmother, she told you about people like me, but you thought it was all nonsense until now." Reid had never encountered any others like him until the other empath. Learning of what Rossi knew…he wondered whether there were more.

Morgan looked at Rossi, "Is that true, Rossi. Is that were you were thinking?"

"I was thinking exactly that." Rossi was amazed. "Can you only feel emotions and read thoughts?"

Reid knew it was a leading question, Rossi wanted to know whether he could control others, "No."

"W-What else can you do, Reid?" Prentiss's emotions were going at a mile at minute. Her mind was probably working through the possibilities.

"He can make people do what he wants them to do, by only telling them." Hotchner figured out. "That's what you did to me back near the interrogation room. You told me to leave, and I did it without a second thought…I wanted to do it, but something else in me told me I was being controlled."

Reid nodded and cringed, "I'm sorry, Hotch. I didn't want to do that to you- I was only protecting you."

"This is…" Hotchner took a long breath. "This is a lot to take in- but from what I've gathered. David and Josh both said they felt controlled- that wasn't you- was that someone like you? An empath?" Reid could tell this fought against Hotch's logic, but he was trying to think about things from a new angle.

Morgan nodded, "Somebody was controlling me. Somebody wanted me to shoot, Hotch. That was our unsub- they must be obsessed with Reid because they have the same abilities."

"That's why I'm telling you now, because we're in real danger and you need to understand the true threat." Reid explained. Reid glanced at the clock in the room. 10:30. "I managed to neutralize it, and everybody is safe, sleeping. They'll forget what happened and wake up in about 45 minutes."

"You erase their _thoughts_?" Prentiss said suddenly, "That's not- that's not good at all Reid, that's a horrible thing to do."

"It's my only choice, Prentiss!" Reid raised his voice, "Did you expect me to let them arrest, Morgan?" Reid pointed outside, "They would not believe us no matter how much I try to prove it! Even if I somehow to could make them believe me...They would only send me away for some damned testing! They'd treat me like a lab rat in some covert government facility!"

Prentiss backed down and nodded. Seemingly understanding.

"Where is David?" Rossi suddenly asked, "He collapsed after what happened...After the unsub," Rossi took a moment to compose his sentence. "After the unsub seemingly spoke through him."

"He's back in his jail cell, though we do need to find away to explain the shattered interrogation room window." Reid frowned, "Do you really all believe me? You're not afraid of me?"

Morgan shook his head, "You're a good person, Reid. And...well even if I think this all sounds insane, I can't seem to find any other explanation for it. I trust you, Reid. I'm not going to let you deal with this on your own."

"We still have an unsub to catch," Prentiss added.

"On one condition," Hotchner was serious. "You're to tell us everything. I'm not going to appreciate any amount of dishonesty, you tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

Spencer nodded, a heavy weight suddenly off his chest. "I will. I promise."


End file.
